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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059110">Being Different- Year 2 - Heroes and Herpetology</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaLupin1999/pseuds/LunaLupin1999'>LunaLupin1999</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Anne Potter [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asperger Syndrome, Autism, Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, F/M, Harry Potter Has a Twin, Panic Attacks, Social Anxiety</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:28:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,340</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaLupin1999/pseuds/LunaLupin1999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne and Irwin enter their second year at Hogwarts. This year the Slytherins are causing trouble for the muggle-borns.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Ron Weasley, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Anne Potter [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726564</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. House elf</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anne woke up pinned to her bedsheets in sweat. She had had the same dream again. The same nightmare. Every night for the past month she had had the same nightmare. Quirrell, the stone, but this time Harry died!</p><p>“Harry! Harry!!!!” she screamed.</p><p>“Woah! Woah! Calm down there, kid! You’re fine, Harry’s fine, everybody’s fine!” Sirius said trying to calm her down.</p><p>“Nightmares again?” asked Remus from the doorway where he stood in his pajamas. Sirius nodded nervously.</p><p>“Come here sweetheart!” said Remus sitting down on her bed. “Come on its alright,” Remus dried the tears off of her face. “Do you want to tell me about it, sweetheart?”</p><p>Anne nodded uncertainly. “It was Quirrell, but this time he got the stone, and Voldemort came back to life, and then….”</p><p>“What is it kid?” asked Sirius.</p><p>“He killed Harry!” she struggled.</p><p>“Anne darling, Harry is in his bed, fast asleep, he couldn’t be safer!” Remus reassured her in a gentle tone.</p><p>“Do you want me to tuck you back in then?” Remus asked. Anne nodded. </p><p>Sirius left the room to go back to sleep as Remus tucked Anne in.</p><p>“Uncle Remus?” Anne asked in barely above a whisper.</p><p>Remus nodded.</p><p>“Can you stay for a bit? Just till I fall asleep?”</p><p>“Of course, I can dear!” Remus kissed her on the top of the head and settled down into a chair.</p><p>When Anne woke up the next morning, she still remembered the nightmare. She could never forget it. She had relived the worst night of her life every night in her sleep since the night in the chamber.</p><p>“Ok midgets!” called Sirius over the breakfast table. “We need you two to get out of here, we need to get ready for your party tomorrow.”</p><p>“Come back in time for dinner please!” added Remus.</p><p>And so Anne went to go get dressed for the day. It was a warm day as it was late July. She pulled on a pair of denim shorts and a light green t-shirt. She put in her hair ribbons which changed to a pale green to match her shirt. </p><p>Harry was going around to Neville’s with Ron for Neville’s birthday. Anne was going to go around to Luna’s for the day. She had already spent quite a bit of time at Luna's this holiday, but she knew that she was going to be going to the Scamander’s for a fortnight before school started.</p><p>Anne started off down the path to her friend’s house. Anne had made so many friends in the last year, but she would always find time for Luna. Her first-ever friend.</p><p>“Anne!!!” screamed Luna as she came charging out of the house her hair flying all over the place.</p><p>“Hi Luna!” she said as Luna pulled her into a hug. “Calm down you only saw me yesterday!!”</p><p>“Oh yes I know that, but I’m making up for all the time I didn’t see you last year!”</p><p>“Anne!” called Mr. Lovegood. “How would you like a cup of tea?”</p><p>“Yes please, Mr Lovegood!!” Anne exclaimed.</p><p>Once Mr. Lovegood had poured tea for everyone and they were all sat down in the sitting room, Mr. Lovegood looked at Anne curiously.</p><p>“Is there something troubling you child?” he asked with affection.</p><p>“Its nothing” Anne stammered, “it's just some bad dreams….”</p><p>“Ah! Dreams, such wonderful things. But sometimes also so terrible!”</p><p>Anne merely nodded.</p><p>“What are you two up to today?” asked Mr. Lovegood as they finished their tea.</p><p>“Well it's such a nice day I want to spend it outside!” exclaimed Luna.</p><p>“Could you two get some plimpies from the stream? I could cook them for dinner!”</p><p>“Of course, Daddy!” said Luna skipping off to find the baskets and jars for the plimpies.</p><p>Anne and Luna spent the day by the brook, once they had enough plimpies they started making crowns out of the wildflowers on the banks.</p><p>“Are there any nargles at Hogwarts?” Luna asked her.</p><p>“Not that I have noticed”</p><p>“What about Crumple Horned Snorcacks?”</p><p>“No. I think your father told those lived in Norway anyway didn’t he?” Anne replied.</p><p>“Oh, yes of course,” replied Luna absentmindedly “I remember now!”</p><p>“You looking forward to starting in September?”</p><p>“I think so I might miss Daddy” replied Luna dreamily, “and the gnomes might wonder where I've gone when I don’t go to talk to them anymore!”</p><p>“You’ll be ok Luna, you already know me and I know you’ll like Irwin and the others when you meet them tomorrow,” Anne told her. Remus and Sirius had invited the entirety of Harry and Anne’s friends to a party tomorrow. They were going to end up having to deal with about twenty kids who were all staying over and sleeping under the stars in sleeping bags.</p><p>Luna and Anne were making their crowns when Anne thought she could see a pair of green eyes watching them from the other bank. But when Anne looked again, they were gone. Deciding they were a trick if the light she decided to ignore them.</p><p>At five o’clock Anne hugged her friend Luna goodbye and rushed off home. </p><p>There was a full moon that night, and that was always a rough night for Remus.</p><p>“Hi Anne, good day?” Sirius asked.</p><p>Anne nodded. The kitchen table was full of food they had been preparing for the next day, homemade burgers and hot dogs, hand-cut chips, and crudités. It was all ready to be cooked the next day when everyone arrived.</p><p>Remus was sat at the kitchen table preparing a fruit salad, and he was starting to get shadows under his eyes. </p><p>“Remus let me do that,” said Anne gently taking the knife from her uncle.</p><p>“Thanks!” he told her.</p><p>“Remus I’m sorry that we are giving you all this trouble on the night of your transformation!”</p><p>“It’s alright Anne it’s not your fault,” Remus said tiredly. “I’m just sorry that I will be so tired for your birthday tomorrow!”</p><p>“It’s ok,” said Anne slicing apples. She would do anything to help her uncle with us transformation after all he’s done for her. She sometimes wished that she could do it for him.</p><p>When Harry returned from Neville’s, they all had a quick dinner before loading all the food for the party away into the fridge. </p><p>“Right go on you two!” Sirius said starting to shoo them both upstairs, “see you tomorrow!”</p><p>It was getting closer to sunset and Remus was looking worse by the minute. Remus was heading towards the basement and Sirius was going to check the wards had been put in place properly on the basement.</p><p>Anne knew that Sirius would sit up all night by the entrance to the basement, just in case there was anything wrong and Remus escaped.</p><p>Anne had just washed her hair and brushed it into her plaits. She found her brother waiting for her on her bed.</p><p>“Hey, sis!”</p><p>“Hi Harry,” Anne muttered tying her ribbons into her hair.</p><p>“You’ll never guess what happened at Neville’s today!”</p><p>But Anne never did find out what happened at Neville’s that day because at that second a house-elf popped into their room.</p><p>“Harry and Anne Potter!!” the elf squeaked.</p><p>“Who are you?” screamed Harry.</p><p>“What are you doing in my room?” screamed Anne.</p><p>“Dobby has come to warn Harry and Anne Potter not to return to Hogwarts this year!”</p><p>“What?” asked Harry.</p><p>“What are you talking about?” asked Anne.</p><p>“There is a terrible plot, terrible things are going to happen at Hogwarts school, you cannot return!” Dobby continued.</p><p>“Just a minute!” Anne faltered as she went out into the corridor. </p><p>“Sirius!” Anne called down the stairs.</p><p>“What?” He called up the stairs. “You know I’m busy with Remus!”</p><p>“Sirius there’s someone in my room!”</p><p>“Harry get the hell out of your sisters’ room! You have your own!”</p><p>“No there’s a house-elf!”</p><p>“What!”</p><p>“A house-elf, apparently he's called Dobby” Anne was still shouting over the stairs.</p><p>“Right. I’m coming up!” said Sirius as he started his way up the stairs.</p><p>“Now then what's this about a house-elf?” asked Sirius once he reached Anne's room.</p><p>The house-elf was now sat on Anne’s bed crying where Harry was trying to comfort him.</p><p>“Its ok Dobby just tell me what's happening!”</p><p>“I can’t sir, Dobby can’t!” Dobby wailed. “You must promise me that Mr and Miss Potter will not go back to school!”</p><p>“Dobby is it?” asked Sirius gently kneeling down to talk to him. “Look, I understand that you cant tell us, but Harry and Anne will be fine, Remus and I look after them, you don’t need to worry yourself about them. Now go back to your master wherever they are,” Sirius told him.</p><p>The elf nodded before clicking its fingers and disappearing.</p><p>“Well that was weird!” exclaimed Harry.</p><p>“You’re telling me!” continued Sirius before going back downstairs to Remus.</p><p>The next morning Anne was woken up by her brother bouncing up and down on her bed. </p><p>“Anne! Anne!” screamed Harry.</p><p>“Wake up it's our birthday!” he shouted dragging her windows open.</p><p>“I know that!” exclaimed Anne as she reached under her bed for Harry’s present. “Happy Birthday Harry!”</p><p>“Thanks, sis!” Harry said handing her his present.</p><p>“Wow! Cool!” Anne had gotten Harry a book on the world’s greatest seekers. Harry played seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.</p><p>Harry had gotten his sister a book on Nicholas Flamel.</p><p>Sirius came into their room a few hours later. “Come on you two, it’s time for breakfast!”<br/>Sirius had managed to get some sleep on the sofa, and he seemed to be bouncing with energy.</p><p>Harry started to charge towards the stairs where he could smell the breakfast cooking from the kitchen.</p><p>Anne followed her brother downstairs and sat down next to Remus who was drinking his first cup of tea.</p><p>“Hi, Remus! How are you?”</p><p>“I’ve been worse! Happy Birthday, Darling!” he said putting an arm around his goddaughter.</p><p>There was a full English breakfast that morning, so Anne had a few sausages and a piece of toast whilst the rest of them ate their fill.</p><p>“Bed Moony!” Sirius announced once Remus had finished eating. “You need to have some energy for the party later.” </p><p>Remus struggled his way up from the table and Anne helped her godfather up to his room. “See you later Uncle Remus,” Anne said from the doorway once Remus had gotten into bed.</p><p>The other three spent the day decorating the garden whilst Remus slept. They had to blow up the balloons, make the cake, set up the projector, and get out the sleeping bags. </p><p>The guests started arriving at six o’clock with their overnight bags. There was Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny Weasley, Neville, Luna, Seamus, and Dean the other two Gryffindor boys, Hermione, Michael, Terry, Anthony, Mandy, Lisa, Padma, Persephone, and Irwin. </p><p>It was a good thing it was a clear night because they were all going to be sleeping outside in the garden. Remus had woken up by the time that the guests arrived so even though he was looking tired he was able to join in with the party.</p><p>Sirius and Remus were manning the barbeque and Sirius, Anne, and Harry had been busy preparing food all afternoon. Everyone ate vast amounts of food followed by a massive cake, one half of the cake had chocolate frosting and the top half had strawberry.</p><p>Then it was time for presents.  Mr. Weasley had clearly been doing some research into muggle children’s literature as Anne had received a set of three books in a series called The Worst Witch.</p><p>“Sorry Anne, dads kind of gone rogue on your gift this year,” said Ron trying to apologize.</p><p>“They look brilliant!” Anne laughed. “Thank you so much!”</p><p>Michael and Terry had again got her a huge amount of Honeydukes plain chocolate. They knew that chocolate helped when Anne wasn’t feeling well.</p><p>Lisa who was a muggle-born handed Anne a large box. The box was full of every kind of sweet imaginable. And the best part was none of them were trick sweets or blood flavored like wizarding sweets sometimes were.</p><p>Anne laughed when she opened Padma and Persephone’s present. They had made her a stuffed toy dog, but it didn’t have one head it had three! </p><p>“It's Fluffy!!!” she exclaimed. “It's brilliant!”</p><p>She received several books, a book from Anthony on Herbology, and a book from Mandy on the wizard Paracelsus.</p><p>She got yet another book from Luna but this one was different. </p><p>“I made this for you when you were away last year because I missed you so much. I thought you might have missed the flowers!” said Luna dreamily.</p><p>It was a book with wildflowers pressed into it. Luna had written description for all the flowers. On the first page in the book was written “To my best friend Anne, I hope every time you look through this book you’ll remember running through the meadows on a summer afternoon, all my love Luna”</p><p>“Thank you Luna!” said Anne pulling Luna into a hug, “I love it!”</p><p>Next was Irwin. “its only something small I’m afraid, I’ve got you something bigger but that goes with the presents you’re getting next week when you visit!”</p><p>He handed her two parcels. The first one was a tin of welsh cakes from Mrs. Scamander made with strawberries and white chocolate. The other was a pair of fingerless gloves in blue and bronze that Irwin had crocheted for her.</p><p>“I remember you complaining that your hands got cold but I know gloves can be a pain to pick things up with, this way your hands are warm but you can still do things,” Irwin explained.</p><p>“They’re wonderful, I love them” Anne enthused. Anne pulled Irwin into a hug much made Irwin blush.</p><p>Anne next unwrapped her presents from Sirius and Remus.</p><p>Sirius had given her fifteen galleons to spend on books again as well as a silver heart-shaped locket.</p><p>Then came the presents from Remus. He had gotten her a large number of muggle history books including one that focused on the War of the Roses.</p><p>“I knew you used to enjoy History class before you started at Hogwarts. I even managed to get you a book on medieval witch hunts, I know you study them this year in History of Magic so it could be quite interesting to read about them from a different perspective?”</p><p>“Wow, thanks! They’re perfect!” thanked Anne earnestly. </p><p>The other Ravenclaws started taking an interest in the history books.</p><p>By the time the presents had all been opened and they had had dinner it was now eight o clock. Sirius put a film on the projector which was being projected onto a spare white bedsheet they had hung up outside.</p><p>The first film was Beauty and the Beast which even though the boys pretended to hate, Anne did notice the boys humming along to the songs and laughing at the jokes. Then they watched a James Bond film.</p><p>By the time the second film was over it was getting late, so they turned the projector off. At this point, the kids started to make shadow puppets on to the bedsheet using a torch.</p><p>Anne decided to go to bed at this point and got into her sleeping bag to get comfortable. She stared up at the stars as it was a clear night and eventually fell asleep.</p><p>She dreamt of the Quirrell again that night. This time instead of killing Harry he killed Remus.</p><p>Anne woke up covered in sweat. Everyone had drifted off to sleep by this point.</p><p>“Its alright Anne, I’m here!” said a soft voice near her.</p><p>She looked over and noticed that Irwin was in the sleeping bag next to her. Irwin moved his sleeping bag closer to Anne’s and pulled her in close.</p><p> “Nothing’s going to hurt you, Anne, I promise” he assured her.</p><p>Anne fell back to sleep as Irwin comforted her and she didn’t dream about Quirrell again that night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Havoc at the Bookstore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anne visits the bookstore where Lockhart pulls her to the front of the crowd</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few days later the family was all sat around the breakfast table when the owls arrived with the booklists.</p><p>“Um Remus,” Anne started cautiously.</p><p>“Hmm,” said Remus behind his copy of the Daily Prophet.</p><p>“Didn’t you say that Gilderoy Lockhart was an idiotic fool whose books weren’t worth the paper they were printed on?” Anne continued.</p><p>“Hmm,” muttered Remus as he turned a page of his paper.</p><p>“Then why, has the new defense teacher set his entire collected works?” Anne asked.</p><p>“I’m sorry what was that dear?” as he put down his paper</p><p>“The booklist it's full of Lockhart,” said Anne as she passed him the booklist.</p><p>Remus looked at the list. What competent teacher would set these books? Then again maybe there were no more competent teachers who wanted to risk taking the teaching position!</p><p>“Well if that’s what they’re asking for, best run to Diagon Alley today before they run out, I suppose,” Remus muttered.</p><p>“Do you need anything else over than books dear?”</p><p>“No, just books maybe a few new quills” Anne replied.</p><p>“Harry?”</p><p>“Don’t think so” Harry replied.</p><p>“You need new robes, you’ve had another growth spurt, those robes a far too small!!” Sirius pointed out.</p><p>“Well that’s not as much as last year at least, we should be able to manage by Flu instead of having to take the car all the way up to London,” Remus said. It took them three and a half hours to drive up from Dorset to London each way so taking the Flu was easier if they didn’t have as many parcels.</p><p>“Right then teeth hair and cloaks, let’s go people!” Sirius announced getting up from the table.</p><p>Anne rushed upstairs to redo her plaits and tie her ribbons. She then pulled on her cloak and her hair ribbons changed to match her deep purple cloak.</p><p>“Ok Harry you go first, don’t forget to say to it clearly!” said Sirius.</p><p>Harry stepped into the fire “Diagon Alley!” he called throwing a handful of powder into the fire. Harry disappeared from the fire in a flash. Sirius then went through the fire after Harry.</p><p>“Go on dear,” Remus prompted Anne, gesturing towards the fire.</p><p>Anne stepped into the fire and took a handful of Flu Powder from Remus. “Diagon Alley!” she cried throwing the powder into the fire.</p><p>Anne was whisked away from the room and she soon found herself in the Leaky Cauldron where Harry and Sirius were waiting for her. </p><p>Anne stepped out from the fire and Remus soon arrived in the pub. “Is everyone alright?” asked Remus brushing soot off his cloak.</p><p>Anne nodded.</p><p>“Right, where do we want to go first?” asked Sirius.</p><p>“Books last! They are the heaviest and we need the most from there!” Remus suggested logically.</p><p>“Ok, Madam Malkins first then, let's go!” said Sirius who started shepherding Harry and Anne towards the alleyway.</p><p>They went through to Diagon Alley and had not been there long when Sirius saw a sign.</p><p>Gilderoy Lockhart will be signing copies of his autobiography Magical Me today 12.30-4.30 PM</p><p>Sirius checked his watch. The owl post had been late, it was already eleven o’clock. “Bloody Hell, can we please come back another day Moony!”</p><p>“I would love to! However, we’ve made it this far, we may as well keep going!” said Remus grudgingly.</p><p>Anne was looking around the street. It was more crowded than usual because of the signing and she could tell that the bookstore was going to be a nightmare!</p><p>They went off to Madam Malkins to buy Harry’s new school robes and then went shopping for new quills and parchment for Harry and Anne.</p><p>They arrived in the bookshop just before 12.30 and Anne and Harry both picked up a stack of Lockhart’s books. They noticed that the Weasleys were also there in the shop and worked their way towards the front of the crowd to talk to them.</p><p>“Hi Harry, Hi Anne!” said Ron enthusiastically.</p><p>“I still can’t believe we have to buy a whole set of Lockhart’s books the man is a buffoon!” said Sirius exasperated.  </p><p>“I think he's wonderful” exclaimed Mrs. Weasley</p><p>“Just because he's attractive Molly, does not mean he knows what he's talking about!” Sirius replied. Mrs. Weasley stared at him in shock, the children merely laughed.</p><p>Anne usually loved it in Flourishes and Blotts but today it was crowded she could hardly breathe!</p><p>When 12.30 there was a round of applause as a man with a thick curly head of hair wearing a set of forget me not blue robes came to the front of the shop.</p><p>A man with a camera knocked Anne over as he tried to scramble his way to the front of the crowd.</p><p>“You alright Anne?” said Harry as he helped his sister of the ground. Anne nodded.</p><p>“It can’t be Harry and Anne Potter!” exclaimed Gilderoy Lockheart.</p><p>He walked towards and grabbed Anne by the shoulder pulling her in front of the crowd whilst he grabbed Harry with his other hand.</p><p>‘Nice big smile kids!” said Lockheart grinning showing every one of his teeth as he talked, “together you and I are worth the front page!”</p><p>Lockhart finally let go of Anne's shoulder and she tried to run to Remus and Sirius but Lockhart had put his arm around her shoulder.</p><p>“Ladies and Gentlemen what an opportune moment this is! I have an announcement to make!” Lockhart announced still grinning.</p><p>Anne was beginning to hyperventilate, there was a strange man with a death grip on her arm and at least a hundred witches and wizards staring at her.</p><p>“When Harry and Anne came into this bookshop to buy my autobiography Magical Me, which I will be happy to give them both free of charge!” there was a round of applause. “They had no idea that they and their school fellows would soon be receiving the real magical me, I am going to be taking the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts this year!” Anne even through her panic could see Remus and Sirius’ mouths drop open in shock.</p><p>Next thing they knew Harry and Anne were being given a whole set of collected works of Gilderoy Lockhart free of charge, and only then were they free to go. The collection of books was so heavy that Anne was struggling to hold them all. Harry and Anne gave their sets to Ron and Ginny but the Weasleys still had to buy three whole sets!</p><p>“Thanks, Anne!” said Ginny as she placed the books in Ginny’s cauldron. </p><p>Anne tried to work her way towards the exit of the bookshop. Her head was starting to feel light and she needed some fresh air away from staring faces and strangers who kept pulling her towards the front of huge crowds.</p><p>“Watch where you’re going freak!” sneered a voice as Anne ran into someone in her desperate attempt to get out. She looked up and saw Draco Malfoy.</p><p>“You watch who you’re calling a freak Malfoy!” said Harry catching up with his sister.</p><p>“Well look at her she is a freak,” he said sneering at her, Anne had been silently staring at her shoes and pulling at her plaits trying not to hyperventilate.</p><p>“Shes worth twelve of you Malfoy! How would you like to be pulled up in front of a crowd like that?” shouted Ron</p><p>“Whereas you Potter loved every moment of it,” said Malfoy. “People fawning over you and worshipping you as the ‘boy who lived’!”</p><p>All Anne wanted to do was escape the shop, but Malfoy was blocking her exit route. She tried to dodge her way around him when a man appeared.</p><p>“Ah what do we have here?” sneered Mr. Malfoy who had long blonde hair and was wearing well-tailored black robes. “The Potter twins and the Weasley clan! Ah yes, Draco’s told me all about you,” Lucius Malfoy said staring at Ginny.</p><p>Ginny was standing next to Anne, she had cauldron full of her books.</p><p>"Looks like, they're still not paying your father properly from the state of these books!" he said picking up several of Ginny's books which looked even more worn and tatty next to the glossy new Lockhart books, before placing them back into the cauldron. </p><p>Mr. Malfoys eyes now turned to Anne.</p><p> “Ah yes Miss Potter, Very intelligent topped my Draco in every exam, it’s a shame you don’t have the bravery to back it up! Then again your parents were brave and look where it got them” Mr. Malfoy sneered. Anne wanted to stay something in return, but she couldn’t figure out what, she was starting to feel even dizzier.</p><p>“Come on kids its crazy in here, let’s get you lot out!” said Sirius who was followed by Remus, both were carrying collected works of Lockhart.</p><p>Sirius then saw who was talking to them. “Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy, if you wouldn’t mind moving out of the way,” said Sirius in the politest tone he could manage. </p><p>“Well if it isn’t Sirius Black!” exclaimed Mr. Malfoy. “I was just thinking, maybe it’s a good thing that Anne isn’t as courageous and foolhardy as her parents. Maybe that means that she will be sensible and careful enough to live long enough to see her children grow up even if she is a coward!”</p><p>That did it. Sirius had been trying to keep his temper for the sake of the children suddenly passed the books he was holding to Harry and hit Mr. Malfoy on the nose. Before she knew what was happening Mr. Malfoy and Sirius were fighting each other in the middle of the shop, rolling around the floor, hitting each other with books.</p><p>“Sirius stop that this instant!” Remus yelled as he and Mr. Weasley pulled Sirius off Mr. Malfoy. </p><p>“Let me at him, he insulted James and Lily and Anne” he shouted.</p><p>“Speaking of Anne look at the state she’s in!” Remus said looking at Anne. Anne was now crawled up under a table of books a few meters away rocking back and forth hyperventilating.</p><p>“Anne,” Remus said gently walking over to her “Anne darling!” he kneeled under the table.</p><p>“There's too much noise too many people, too much fighting” she stuttered still rocking back and forth.</p><p>“Anne come on darling let’s get you out of here!” he said reaching out of her.</p><p>“No!” she screamed, “get off me!”</p><p>“Anne!” Remus pleaded trying to keep his voice calm “It’s me, Remus!”</p><p>“Remus?” asked Anne recognizing him.</p><p>“Come on darling let’s get you out of here!”. He reached out for her but this time she didn’t flinch away, and he carried her out of the shop.</p><p>Remus got Anne outside and tried to calm her down “Concentrate on your breathing Anne.”</p><p>As Anne focused on breathing in and out he led her toward a table outside the ice cream shop. He came back a moment later with a glass of iced water.</p><p>“Right drink this!” Remus ordered as he passed the glass to Anne who started to sip at it.</p><p>“I’m sorry about that I just can’t stand that man,” said Sirius when he and Harry found them. “I didn’t know it would make you that upset!” he added guiltily looking at Anne.</p><p>“This is not entirely your fault Sirius,” said Remus looking worriedly at Anne. “She was upset beforehand that Lockhart idiot had dragged her in front of the whole crowd and wouldn’t let her escape.”</p><p>“Lets put it this way, if you hadn’t shown up when you did I was going to take on Draco and Malfoy single-handed!” admitted Harry.</p><p>“I think its best if I take Anne home,” Remus said looking at the young girl who looked like she was seconds away from breaking down.</p><p>“What about Anne’s extra books?” asked Harry</p><p>“I'm sure any books you get Anne would be more than happy to read, she’ll read anything!” Remus said.</p><p>“Ok,” said Sirius uncertainly, “I’ll see you guys when we get home.”</p><p>Remus and Anne headed to the Leaky Cauldron and went home via the fire.</p><p>The second that they got home, and Remus and Anne had sat down on the sofa Anne finally broke down. She started sobbing uncontrollably. </p><p>“Come here sweetheart!” cried Remus pulling Anne in close. He started to stroke Anne’s hair as Anne sobbed into his chest. “It’s alright now, you’re home,” said Remus desperately trying to comfort her.</p><p> After a while, the tears began to dry up. </p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Remus gently.</p><p>Anne shook her head. </p><p>“That’s alright! You don’t have to, I understand,” said Remus still stroking her hair. “Tell you what I always feel better after a bath, want to give that a go?”</p><p>Anne nodded. Remus went off to the other room to run her a bath and went to fetch a pair of clean pajamas from her room. </p><p>Whilst Anne was in the bath Remus prepared Anne her favorite lunch, chicken spinach, and cheese toasted sandwich. </p><p>Once Anne had eaten her lunch and taken a bath, she did feel a bit better. Anne and Remus were sat on top of her bed her empty plate on the floor.</p><p>“You ready to talk now sweetheart?”</p><p>“Yeah sure,” said Anne quietly. Anne explained how she had been scared because there were many people there, wanting to run out of the shop when she was pulled up in front of the crowd, but she was being held to firmly, she couldn’t escape.</p><p>“I wanted to get out as quickly as I could,” Anne continued trying to keep calm. “I was pushing my way through the crowd and was nearly there when I was blocked by Malfoy. I was starting to feel dizzy and needed some fresh air, but Malfoy wouldn’t leave me alone! Then Malfoys dad come over and started offending me and Mum and Dad, I wanted to say something, but it was like my brain had stopped working! Then Sirius hit Mr. Malfoy. The next thing I knew I was under the table where you found me,” Anne finished.</p><p>“No wonder you broke down,” said Remus softly kissing the top of her head, “anybody would have!”</p><p>“Remus! Anne!” called Sirius and Harry from downstairs.</p><p>“We’re up here!” called Remus.</p><p>“We’ve got something that will cheer you up!” they said poking their heads around the door.</p><p>“Books!!” they crowed each carrying a stack of least fifteen books tall apiece.</p><p>“Don’t worry kid, none of them are written by Lockhart!” Sirius laughed as they placed the stacks of books wrapped in brown paper onto the bed.</p><p>“Well go then! I want to see if you like them or not!”</p><p>Anne gave a slight smile and started to unwrap the books. There were a few magical history books, one of which was written by the same author as Revolutionaries of the Magical World. There was a huge set of ten extremally detailed books each the size of a large dictionary that detailed every event in magical history from the ancient world to Harry's defeat of Voldemort. They had been written by the best magical historians in the country including Bathilda Bagshot.</p><p>“Wow!” Anne exclaimed. “I looked at these books last time, but I wanted to start off with something a bit lighter,” Anne said indicating the set she had bought last year. Anne was looking enthusiastically as she looked at a page full of complicated tables and diagrams.</p><p>“Anne! There’s still more books waiting!” said Harry indicating the other fifteen books sitting on the bed. </p><p>There were several books on advanced charms which were Anne’s best subject. She was good at all her subjects, but she had a special knack for charms! And also a few on Herbology which Anne had always enjoyed.</p><p>There were also a couple of books on wandless and non-verbal magic that Anne had started to practice in case it came in handy someday.</p><p>“I love them!” Anne exclaimed. “I would have chosen the same ones myself. I know for a fact though that that set of history books cost twenty galleons on its own and you only gave me fifteen!”</p><p>Sirius fobbed her off. “Look Anne as long as it makes you happy, I don’t care how much I spend on you,” said Sirius who was still feeling guilty about his part in upsetting Anne earlier. “I love you to pieces and I love spoiling you both rotten. Besides it’s not like I’m not spoiling Harry either, I got him a new broom!”</p><p>“Sirius! That was entirely unnecessary he only got a broom last year!” Remus protested turning on Sirius.</p><p>Sirius grinned guiltily and he and Harry went outside to try out Harry's Nimbus 2001. He decided it was best to leave Anne and Remus to inspect all the new books safely on the bed.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Scamander Zoo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anne visits the Scamander family. She also meets Newts creatures.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Anne sweetheart, have you got absolutely everything?” asked Remus as he helped her finish packing her trunk.</p><p>Anne was going to visit the Scamander’s for a few weeks before the start of school and was going straight to Hogwarts from the Scamander’s.</p><p>“Yes uncle Remus,” muttered Anne as she folded one of her jumpers.</p><p>“You’ve got your wand?”</p><p>“Yes, uncle Remus.”</p><p>“Emergency money?”</p><p>“Yes, uncle Remus”</p><p>“You’ve got all your books?” he checked. Seeing as they had just put at least fifty books into Anne’s trunk that seemed a slightly silly question, but Anne nodded.</p><p>“Yes, even the Lockhart’s,” said Anne.</p><p>“Don’t remind me!” groaned Remus, “If you get any trouble from him just call us and let us know!”</p><p>“That reminds me, you got the mirror?”</p><p>“Of course, I don’t go anywhere without it!” Anne replied.</p><p>“Right, right” Remus muttered as he folded her quilt and placed it in the trunk on top of her school robes. “Well then I think that’s everything, come on darling let’s go get you some breakfast before they arrive!”</p><p>Remus placed a feather-light charm on the trunk, and they lifted it down the stairs.</p><p>Sirius had prepared Anne a bowl of raspberries and grapes for breakfast whilst Remus and Anne had finished the packing.</p><p>“Come on kid eat up!” prompted Sirius “and I don’t want to hear anything about you forgetting to eat this year!”</p><p>“It’s alright Sirius after last year Rolfs got Irwin on to her!” Harry laughed.</p><p>“Yes well,” muttered Sirius.</p><p>Remus checked the time and saw it was a few minutes to ten. “they’ll be here in a minute!” panicked Remus.</p><p>Sirius ran over to start the fire for the Scamander’s and Remus fetched Anne’s cloak of the coat rack.</p><p>Suddenly the fire in the grate turned bright green and a witch with dark hair appeared in the living room.</p><p>“Hello there Remus!” called Mrs. Scamander.</p><p>“Hello, Gwendoline! Thank you for inviting Anne to stay!” greeted Remus.</p><p>“That’s alright, the boys can’t wait to see her!” said Mrs. Scamander as she helped Remus pull Anne’s trunk over to the fire.</p><p>“Now Anne,” said Remus taking Anne by the shoulders. “If you need anything don’t hesitate to ask either Mr or Mrs. Scamander.”</p><p>“Remus….” called Sirius.</p><p>Remus held Anne a little tighter and then looked at Mrs. Scamander. “Um, she’s being having a few nightmares for the last month or so,” Remus told her as he did up Anne’s cloak.</p><p>“Remus she’ll be fine!” said Sirius. “Have a good year kiddo, knock their socks off!” said Sirius giving Anne a brief hug and ruffling her hair</p><p>“Of course, right! Well be safe dear and don’t forget to call!” said Remus as he pulled Anne into a tight hug and kissed on the top of her head. </p><p>“Bye Sirius, Remus!” called Anne as she headed to the fire with Mrs. Scamander.</p><p>They both walked into the fire carrying the trunk. “Scamander Hollow!” called Mrs. Scamander as she dropped a handful of flu powder into the fire. </p><p>After spinning for a few minutes with Anne holding on desperately to the trunk they arrived at the Scamander’s.</p><p> “Anne!” screamed Irwin as Anne stepped out of the fire. Anne had arrived in a large kitchen with a scrubbed wooden table with mismatched chairs. Irwin had been sitting at one of the chairs and came charging over when Anne arrived. Irwin had grown quite a bit so now was very tall and lanky. He had curly dark red hair and his face was covered in freckles.</p><p>Irwin crushed Anne into a huge hug. “Careful son! Give your friend some space to breathe!” laughed Mrs. Scamander.</p><p>Irwin helped his mother with Anne’s trunk, and they started towards the sitting room. At this moment two small children with dark hair came rushing into the sitting room. “Anne! Anne!!!” screamed Averett and Aislynn Irwin’s twin brother and sister who were four years old.</p><p>“Um hello,” said Anne nervously as the twins hugged her around the legs.</p><p>“Averett Aislynn I thought you two were drawing nicely?” asked their mother.</p><p>“We were” started Averett.</p><p>“But we got bored!” finished Aislynn.</p><p>“Yes well,” muttered Mrs. Scamander as she pulled twins off of Anne’s legs. “Sorry about my children they can sometimes be a bit overly friendly!” she said smiling at Anne as she sent the twins off to go play.</p><p>“That’s ok,” Anne shrugged.</p><p>“Irwin, why don’t you show Anne up to her room?”</p><p>“Ok mum!” said Irwin beaming. “Come on Anne you’re up here!” Irwin led Anne up a staircase and towards an open door.</p><p>It was a large room with lots of windows looking out over the grounds. There was a double bed with light pink bedsheets and plenty of bookcases and a floor-length mirror.</p><p>Irwin placed the trunk at the end of the bed before flopping onto the bed. “Mum put you here so that you could be close to my room, my rooms next door,” Irwin explained. </p><p>“Do you want to do the unpacking before lunch?” Irwin asked. </p><p>Anne nodded.</p><p>“Recte!” said Irwin as he opened the trunk. </p><p>They placed away Annes folded clothes in the chest of drawers and put away the books.</p><p>“Hi guys!” called Irwin’s brother Rolf standing in the doorway. Rolf had red hair like his brothers but had fewer freckles. “Mums sent me up to tell you two that you need to come down for lunch.”</p><p>Rolf looked over to the huge stacks of books they were halfway through unpacking. “I’m sure you two Ravenclaws will have plenty of time to go through the books later!” he chuckled heading down the stairs to the kitchen.</p><p>Irwin and Anne followed Rolf down to the kitchen. The family was already gathered around the kitchen table which was full of sandwiches and a fresh salad. There was a middle-aged man who was tall and lanky like his son Irwin and was dressed in a pair of jeans and a green jumper. The twins who were sitting next to each other who looked as if they couldn’t wait to get down from the table to get into more mischief. Rolf was sat next to an elderly couple. One had silvery hair which would have originally been red and was dressed in a button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up. There was a woman with grey hair sitting next to him who was chatting animatedly to the twins, she had a slight American twang to her accent. Mrs. Scamander was wearing an apron and rushing around putting dishes on the table.</p><p>“Um well,” began Irwin, “you already know Rolf, and you’ve met Mum and the twins.” The twins showed mischievous grins on their faces at being mentioned. “Then there’s Dad,” said Irwin pointing towards his father.</p><p>“Hello dear, the boys have told us so much about you, I hope you have a nice time here!” greeted Mr. Scamander warmly.</p><p>“And then there’s just Grandma and Grandpa, of course, Newt and Tina Scamander,” Irwin added indicating the older couple.</p><p>“Um hello,” muttered Anne shyly. There were so many people and they all seemed to be staring at her.</p><p>“It’s alright dear” supplied Newt. “We can be a bit much at first!”</p><p>“We’re a very close family” continued Tina. “That’s why we all live together.”</p><p>“Don’t worry you’ll get used to us!” laughed Mrs. Scamander. “Come on sit down,” she said gently.</p><p>Anne sat down between Irwin and Rolf and Mrs. Scamander placed a large plate of quiche, sandwiches, and some salad in front of her.</p><p>The family started jabbering away about what they had been up to that day. Landon was talking to his father Newt about the paper he had been writing that day. Tina was listening to the twins explain how they were going to go exploring the grounds with their big brother Rolf that afternoon.</p><p>“We’re going to climb trees,” enthused Averett.</p><p>“And collect flowers,” added Aislynn.</p><p>“I promised that if they left me alone this morning, so I could get some homework done, we would go exploring this afternoon,” Rolf explained to his grandmother chuckling.</p><p>“Sounds amazing! Can I come with you!” asked Tina her face lighting up.</p><p>“Of course, the more the merrier!!” Rolf laughed.</p><p>“Irwin,” asked Newt, “do you think your friend might like to meet some of my creatures this afternoon?”</p><p>“Sure!” replied Irwin.</p><p>Anne had been confused by all of these conversations and the noise. She was staring down at her plate pushing her salad around her plate, she had already eaten a few sandwiches, but she didn’t feel particularly hungry.</p><p>“Gwen, can you help me with starting the edits for my paper this afternoon? Its due in a few days?” asked Mr. Scamander.</p><p>“Of course dear!” said Mrs. Scamander as she started to clear the plates from the table. “Rolf don’t forget to put on sun protection potion, you burn so easily!”</p><p>“Alright Mum,” answered Rolf as he helped Averett down from the table.</p><p>“Oh and Mum!” Mr. Scamander said to Tina, “make sure Aislynn doesn’t climb too high, she can’t always get back down again!”</p><p>“Alright Landon!” said Tina getting up from the table. “See you at dinner honey,” Tina kissed Newt on the top of his head before going outside with Rolf and the twins.</p><p>“You two will be alright on your own this afternoon?” asked Gwendoline as she washed the dishes by magic.</p><p>“Yeah, we are going to help Grandpa with his creatures!” Irwin answered enthusiastically.</p><p>Mr. and Mrs. Scamander went off to the study to get to work on the editing.</p><p>“I know my family can be a bit much,” said Newt who had noticed that Anne had not said a word since sitting down. “I’m afraid this is about as normal as it gets everyone talking over each other, four conversations going on at once.”</p><p>Anne nodded anxiously. She could not believe that Newt Scamander was talking to her! And he was being so nice!</p><p>“The chaos gets a bit much for me as well sometimes, that’s when I go talk to my creatures,” Newt told her. “I love my family to pieces, and the fact that they talk so much means that if you are shy or quiet it doesn’t matter so much!”</p><p>Anne smiled; Newt was right. It didn’t matter that she hardly talked because the twins talked enough for four people on their own.</p><p>“Come on Anne! Do you want to see the kelpie?” said Irwin who was bouncing around the room, excited to show Anne all the creatures.</p><p>Anne nodded and got up from the table. </p><p>The three of them headed towards a door leading off from the kitchen.</p><p>“Alohomora!” called Newt and the door unlocked. “There’s nothing dangerous through here if you know how to deal with them,” Newt explained, “I only keep the door locked so the twins don’t run amuck in here unsupervised!” he chuckled.</p><p>They had arrived in a workroom where there were several tables and lots of buckets full of food.</p><p>“Lunchtime at the Scamander Zoo,” laughed Irwin as he picked up a couple of buckets.</p><p>“If you take those buckets dear you can help,” said Newt as he passed Anne two buckets. One was full of raw meat and the other leaves woodlice and insects.</p><p>“If we feed the creatures first you can get to know them whilst we do that!” Newt said leading them down a staircase.</p><p>Where in a usual house there would have been a basement there was instead a magical paradise. There were different habitats for all the different creatures. One area had a large number of tall trees where there was even a small cave. There was a huge lake on the edge of the room that was where she supposed they kept the kelpie.</p><p>“Shall we feed the bowtruckles first?” asked Irwin as they approached the trees.</p><p>Anne noticed that there were several small stick-like creatures coming out of the trees. Newt started to feed the bowtruckles out of one buckets Anne was carrying. Once the bowtruckles had eaten their fill of the woodlice and leaves one of them started climbing around on Anne before settling down on one of Anne’s shoulders.</p><p>“Miranda! Get down from there!” said Newt as he carefully picked the bowtruckle off of Anne’s shoulder and returned her to the tree.</p><p>They then approached several paddocks. “Ok hippogriffs first, then thestrals, then unicorns,” muttered Newt as they came towards the paddocks.</p><p>The first paddock had several hippogriffs in, Anne had seen pictures, but she had never seen one in real life. There was a chestnut, one with dark feathers and one was almost white. Anne, Irwin, and Newt all bowed to hippogriffs who bowed back, before giving them handfuls of raw meat from one of the buckets. One of the hippogriffs allowed Anne to pet her.</p><p>They then came to a paddock which appeared to be empty. “This paddock contains Thestrals” explained Newt when he saw Anne’s look at confusion. “I presume that you can’t see them?”</p><p>“No sir,” muttered Anne. Anne remembered reading that you could only see Thestrals if you had witnessed death. </p><p>Newt threw some chunks of meat into the paddock which started being eaten by things that Anne couldn’t see. It was slightly creepy the meat being torn apart by something she couldn’t see.</p><p>Then she was introduced to the unicorns, they were beautiful! There were about six in the paddock and most of them were silver but there was tiny little foal which was pure gold. As Anne was a girl and not a boy, the unicorns let Anne pet them and stroke them. The little golden foal kept nuzzling Anne whilst Irwin and Newt fed them.</p><p>They then went over to a large cave. It was full of a family of nifflers and their trinkets that they had collected. “The parents are called Helga and Godric,” said Newt pointing towards the two largest nifflers.</p><p> There were also five or six much smaller nifflers who were tiny and adorable. They were like tiny little balls of fluff. Anne was just thinking how cute they were when one of the baby nifflers tried to steal her wristwatch.</p><p>“Morgana no! That’s not yours!” scolded Newt as he took the watch back from the baby niffler and placed it back on Anne’s wrist.</p><p>They then fed the rest of the creatures and soon only the kelpie was left. They walked over to the lake on the edge of the enclosure and found a huge creature waiting for them. It was like a massive water horse. Newt fed it and then went for a ride across the lake, after which Irwin went for a ride.</p><p>“Do you want a turn?” asked Irwin as he dismounted. Both Irwin and Newt were soaking wet but beaming.</p><p>“No thanks,” replied Anne.</p><p>“Well I think that’s everyone!” said Newt. “So what do you think?”</p><p>“I think it's amazing!” exclaimed Anne, “there are so many creatures!” </p><p>Newt merely shrugged.</p><p>“Hey, Anne, can we have a look through your books now?” asked Irwin suddenly remembering the stacks of books in Anne’s room.</p><p>“Ok!” replied Anne.</p><p>Irwin and Anne rushed up to her room to go through her books. Newt beamed as he watched the children run off.</p><p>“Anne these books are fascinating!” said Irwin as he flicked through a book on non-verbal magic.</p><p>“Honestly Irwin! You’d say that about any book!” she laughed.</p><p>“So, would you!” he replied. “so how is your wandless and non-verbal training going?”</p><p>“I haven’t been to practice much, were not allowed to do magic outside of school. I’ve been doing a lot of research though, so I think I understand the theory!”</p><p>“Fair enough” muttered Irwin as he began to peruse a book on advanced charms.</p><p>Anne and Irwin spent the afternoon flicking through her new books and before they knew it, it was time for dinner.</p><p>“Irwin son, as much as I appreciate you sharing my love of books, your mother says you two have got to come to have some dinner!” Mr. Scamander laughed as he came into the room.</p><p>Irwin got up from the bed and went down to the kitchen still carrying the book on advanced charms and started to head downstairs. Mr. Scamander took the book from his son.</p><p>“Dad!” Irwin protested.</p><p>“Irwin, you know the rules! No books at the table during mealtimes!” Mr. Scamander said as he placed the book on top of the dresser. “You can have it back after dinner,” he chuckled as he saw the look of outrage on his son’s face.</p><p>Dinner was a beef casserole with boiled potatoes and green vegetables. If possible, dinner was even more chaotic than lunch. Irwin was trying to eat his dinner as quickly as possible so that he could get back to his book. Averett and Aislynn were enthusiastically telling their parents about their adventure that afternoon.</p><p>“We found a bird nest in a tree!” said Averett.</p><p>“I fell in the brook and I got wet!” said Aislynn.</p><p>“Sounds exciting darlings,” said Mrs. Scamander, “slow down Irwin, if you eat that quickly you’ll make yourself sick!”</p><p>“Sorry, mum!” called Irwin through a mouthful of casserole.</p><p>Pudding that evening was summer fruits and vanilla ice cream which Anne loved.</p><p>At the end of dinner, Irwin began to drag Anne back upstairs to get back to reading.</p><p>“Irwin Son, are you forgetting something?” asked Mr. Scamander smiling.</p><p>“Oh yeah!” exclaimed Irwin as he took her through to the sitting room.</p><p>“What's up?” asked Anne confused.</p><p>When Anne and Irwin reached the sitting room everyone was sitting on the sofa beaming and there was a small pile of presents.</p><p>“Happy Birthday!!!” screamed the twins.</p><p>“My birthday was two weeks ago!” stuttered Anne still confused.</p><p>“We know that but we wanted to get you stuff anyway!” laughed Rolf.</p><p>Anne sat down on the sofa embarrassed at all the attention.</p><p>“Open this one first its form me!” said Irwin as he passed her a present.</p><p>Irwin had given Anne a book on different creatures from Classical Mythology. </p><p>“There’s even a Cerberus in there!” laughed Irwin.</p><p>“Thanks, Irwin!” she said hugging her best friend.</p><p>‘I think you’ll find there’s a theme to these gifts!” laughed Tina.</p><p>“We noticed that you and Irwin seem to have a keen interest in the Classical World, you both enjoyed the Iliad and the Odyssey so much!” explained Mr. Scamander.</p><p>Anne received several more books. A book called the Theogony from Rolf</p><p>“It's about the birth of the Greek Gods, it could be quite interesting!”</p><p>As well as several books on Greek Mythology in general from Mr. and Mrs. Scamander.</p><p>Newt and Tina had got Anne several books by Ovid the Heroides and the Metamorphoses. </p><p>“I have always enjoyed reading Ovid, he’s a wonderful poet,” explained Newt. “I think you’ll like the Heroides it is a collection of love letters written from the heroines in classical mythology to their lovers.”</p><p>“Thank you so much! They look wonderful!” said Anne.</p><p>There was now one more box left to be unwrapped.</p><p>“Have you ever heard of the Greek Gods Apollo and Artemis?” asked Mr. Scamander.</p><p>“Um, I don’t think so….”</p><p>“Well, there’s probably quite a lot about them in your new books,” he chuckled. “They were a pair of twin gods Apollo was a god and Artemis was a goddess. Apollo was the god of the sun and Artemis was the goddess of the moon,” he explained.</p><p>“As you have a twin brother, and a certain connection to the moon because of your Uncle Remus, I and Landon thought you might like this,” said Mrs. Scamander passing the last box to Anne.</p><p>Anne carefully unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside the box was a silver chain necklace with a charm of a silver moon on it.</p><p>“It's beautiful! Thank you!” she stammered as Mrs. Scamander helped her on with her necklace.</p><p>After that Anne and Irwin carried her new books up to her room. They read for a while longer before going to bed.</p><p>It had been a long day, and even though the Scamander family were a bit full on sometimes, she had a feeling it was going to be a very exciting fortnight.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Where is Harry?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harrys not on the train!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anne woke up at five o’clock on the morning of the first of September. She repacked her trunk making sure she had all her books and equipment. </p><p>She put her wand, her money, Rose, and a book on Classical Mythology into her backpack. </p><p>She got dressed in a pair of jeans and a light blue jumper which matched her eyes. She did her hair in her usual long neat plaits and then tied on her ribbons which turned light blue to match her jumper.</p><p>It was now a quarter to six. The train didn’t leave till eleven o’clock, but it was a three-hour drive from the Scamander house in Dorset up to London. Even if they didn’t leave for nearly two hours, they weren’t going to be late, but Anne was always panicking about something.</p><p>Anne clearly wasn’t the only one that got up early however as Mr. Scamander poked his head around the door fifteen minutes later.</p><p>He seemed surprised that Anne was already dressed, fully packed, and was sitting on the bed and reading a book. “Ah! I see your up Anne! I was just about to wake the boys up. I want to try and get out of here by seven o’clock so that we’re not late!”</p><p>Anne nodded. Mr. Scamander just smiled, “well at least one of you three seems to understand the importance of not being late!” he muttered before banging on Irwin’s door.</p><p>Anne went downstairs for breakfast a few minutes later and found Mrs. Scamander in the kitchen.</p><p>“Let me guess?” said Mrs. Scamander as she put sausages in the frying pan, “Landon’s trying to do the rounds, trying to wake you all up?”</p><p>Anne nodded. </p><p>“I don’t know what gets into him! He’s the same every year! He’s been rushing about since five o’clock this morning, I struggled to stop him waking you lot up till six!” </p><p>“It’s ok, I was already up,” she replied.</p><p>“Still,” she muttered pouring eggs into the pan, “most of the year I am married to a perfectly stable and normal man, but then every year on the first of September he goes crazy! Getting everyone up two hours early, snapping at the boys when they haven’t finished packing!”</p><p>“Morning,” grunted Rolf tousle-haired still in his pajamas.</p><p>“Morning dear!” said Mrs. Scamander kissing Rolf on the head. “You all packed?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t dare not be with dad in the mood he’s in!”</p><p>“We’re leaving the twins here today, they would only get in the way and there's three lots of luggage to fit in the car,” she said as she started serving sausages and scrambled eggs to Rolf and Anne.</p><p>After a very hurried breakfast and double-checking of the rooms, they placed the three trunks in the boot of the car and were ready to go by seven o’clock.</p><p>Newt and Tina were waiting outside the house with Averett and Aislynn once they had loaded the car.</p><p>“Bye-bye Irwin!” called Aislynn giving her brother one last teary hug.</p><p>“I’ll see you at Christmas ok?” Irwin said kneeling down to talk to his sister.</p><p>“Ok!” said Aislynn feeling slightly better.</p><p>“It was lovely to meet you dear!” said Tina.</p><p>“I hope you can come back next summer,” said Newt giving Anne one last hug.</p><p>“Let’s get a move on people! The train won’t wait!” yelled Mr. Scamander who was already sitting in the car.</p><p>“Landon, at least point we might arrive before the train even gets there!”</p><p>“There might be traffic! Come on Rolf!!!” he yelled at his son who had had to go back for his Potions book.</p><p>Anne, because she was the smallest, sat between Irwin and Rolf in the middle seat in the back of the car. It was three hours to Kings Cross, but they still arrived at a few minutes before ten.</p><p>“You see Landon,” said Mrs. Scamander pointing to the clock over platforms nine and ten, “It’s only a minute past ten, I don’t know what gets into you! It’s almost as if you have some kind of curse to be overly anxious on the first day of school each year!”</p><p>“I’m sorry Gwen!” he said blushing. “It’s just it’s so important, I don’t want the kids to miss the train!”</p><p>Rolf went through the barrier first, and then Mr. Scamander who was followed by Irwin and then Anne, Mrs. Scamander went last.</p><p>“Ok kids let’s get you two a compartment. Rolf, you need to change into your prefect robes,” said Mr. Scamander pulling Anne’s trunk off her trolley.</p><p>The train was completely empty as they were so early. They found a compartment and loaded Anne and Irwin’s trunks onto the train. </p><p>“Goodbye dears!” said Mrs. Scamander giving them all one last hug. “See you at Christmas!”</p><p>“Now then you two don’t study too much!” said Mr Scamander looking at Anne and Irwin. “Now I know you might not think it’s possible to study too much, but you need to remember to eat sleep and relax as well. Don’t forget!” he said ruffling his son’s hair, “you’re only twelve, you need to have fun sometimes!”</p><p>Irwin laughed, “don’t worry Dad we will!”</p><p>The Scamander family left and after a while, Irwin and Anne were joined in their compartment by Michael, Terry, Mandy, Lisa, Persephone, and Anthony. Padma was sitting in another compartment with her sister Parvati.</p><p>The train had been going for a few minutes when Ginny came into their compartment. “Anne, have you seen Harry?” she asked very flusteredly.</p><p>“No, I haven’t seen him for two weeks.”</p><p>“I don’t think he’s on the train!” she sobbed “we were running late, and I don’t think Harry and Ron made it through the barrier!”</p><p>Anne stared at her in shock. Harry wasn’t on the train? Then where was he??</p><p>“Anne I think I need to borrow your mirror,” said Irwin as he came back from double-checking the compartments for Harry.</p><p>“Sirius!” Irwin called “Sirius!!!”</p><p>“Hello?” answered Remus, “Oh hi Irwin! What’s up?”</p><p>“It’s Harry he’s not on the train and Anne’s panicking”</p><p>“Sirius get in here right now!”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“I thought you said you’d contacted the school saying Harry and Ron weren’t on the train but they were fluing later?” asked Remus anger in his voice.</p><p>“Yeah, I did”</p><p>“You clearly forgot to tell Anne! She’s panicking about where her brother is!” Remus yelled.</p><p>“Oh, Merlin!” he muttered. “Sorry, Anne! I forgot” said Sirius grinning sheepishly.</p><p>“Your brother is fine sweetheart, Harry will see you when you get there alright?”</p><p>Anne nodded; she was still shaken up but at least she knew Harry was alright.</p><p>“I’m sorry for stressing you out like this,” said Ginny.</p><p>“It’s ok,” said Anne “I understand why you were worried”</p><p>When it was reaching towards evening the train reached Hogsmeade. They left their trunks on the train and started heading towards the carriages. She noticed that the carriages didn’t seem to be being pulled by anything.</p><p>Maybe they were pulled by Thestrals Anne considered.</p><p>Anne got into a carriage with Irwin, Michael, Terry, Anthony, and Persephone.</p><p>“I hope the sorting doesn’t take long. I’m starving!” groaned Michael.</p><p>“Yeah me too!” added Terry.</p><p>“I mean it's not as if you two didn’t eat your weight in sweets just now on the train!” said Anthony sarcastically.</p><p>They arrived at the school and the hat sang the sorting song again. Anne noticed that it was different from the song it had sung last year. Just before the sorting began, Anne sighed in relief as she saw Harry and Ron join the others at the Gryffindor table.</p><p>Then the first-year students were all sorted into their new houses. </p><p> “Lovegood, Luna!” called McGonagall.</p><p>Luna ran up to try on the hat. She had barely had it on a second however when it yelled “Ravenclaw!!”</p><p>The Ravenclaw table began to cheer for Luna. Anne made space next for her at the table so that Luna could sit next to her.</p><p>“Hello Anne, I’m glad where in the same house!” said Luna dreamily.</p><p>After dinner, the Ravenclaws all trooped up to their tower and they unpacked their trunks.</p><p>Anne noticed that this year the other girls had made space for Anne’s books on their bookcases. They didn’t mind her unpacking all her books as long as they got to borrow them when they wanted to!</p><p>They stayed up gossiping and catching up on Anne and Padma’s beds about what they had done all summer.</p><p>“Um guys,” said Anne after a while, “It's one o’clock, we’ve got class tomorrow!”</p><p>“Merlin you’re right!” said Persephone.</p><p>They all went off to bed at that point not wanting to be tired for class the next day!</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Attack of the Cornish Pixies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Ravenclaws have their first lesson with Lockhart.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning the Ravenclaws were sat at the breakfast table eagerly waiting for Professor Flitwick to hand out the timetables for the year.</p><p>Terry and Michael both had their plates full of sausages and eggs and were eating them hardly pausing to stop to chew properly.</p><p>“Honestly!” muttered Mandy. “I just don’t know where you two put all that food!”</p><p>“We’re growing boys!” said Terry.</p><p>“Yeah we’ve got to keep our strength up!” added Michael spraying Lisa with pieces of sausage.</p><p>“You’re disgusting is what you are!” said Lisa.</p><p>“Hi, Luna!” greeted Persephone as Luna sat down at the table with the second years.</p><p>“Hello Luna, how was your first night?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“Hmm?” asked Luna dreamily, “Oh it was alright, I couldn’t find my hairbrush this morning….”</p><p>Anne noticed that Luna’s hair was slightly more tangled and messier than normal. “That’s alright Luna, you can borrow mine after breakfast,” said Anne.</p><p>Luna didn’t seem to have heard Anne as Luna was stirring her strawberry yoghurt whilst humming.</p><p>“Good Morning everyone!” squeaked Professor Flitwick as he started down the table with stacks of timetables. “I hope you are all ready for another year full of learning!”</p><p>“Good Morning Sir!” replied Anne.</p><p>“Good Morning Sir! When’s our first charms lesson?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“Good Morning Anne, Irwin! I’m afraid we won’t have charms class till Monday morning,” said Flitwick.</p><p>“Oh, shame! Its only Tuesday, I wanted to go through my essay!” muttered Padma. The other Ravenclaws nodded in agreement.</p><p>“What we got today then?” asked Terry still stuffing his face.</p><p>“Umm, Transfiguration and Potions and then Defence this afternoon,” replied Anthony checking their schedules.</p><p>“We’ve got Astronomy on Thursday nights,” added Lisa scanning the piece of parchment.</p><p>“Come on, if you two having finished stuffing your faces,” said Anthony looking at Michael and Terry, “let’s go get our books.”</p><p>“Hey, Luna!” called Lisa as they got up from the table. “Did you want to borrow my hairbrush?”</p><p>“Huh?” asked Luna distractedly, “oh yeah sure!”</p><p>The Ravenclaws ran up to their common room to fetch their books and holiday homework for the lessons for the day. They were about to head downstairs for Transfiguration when they noticed that Luna was still looking confused standing on her own.</p><p>“Luna you’ve got Charms first, right?” asked Irwin kindly.</p><p>Luna nodded.</p><p>“Well that’s next to the Transfiguration classroom!” said Mandy, “we can show you the way.”</p><p>“Don’t worry Flitwick’s really nice!” Padma assured her as they came towards the classroom.</p><p>“We’ll see you later!” called Irwin as they went to their own classroom.</p><p>Transfiguration went well, they handed in their homework and then they went over what they had learnt the previous year.</p><p>They then had a Potions class. Professor Snape came sweeping into the classroom in his black robes that swept out behind him like wings.</p><p>“Homework!” called Professor Snape before he even reached the front of the room.</p><p>The Hufflepuffs groaned, hoping that Snape had forgotten their long holiday essay. Anne and Irwin started scrabbling in their bags for their essays which they handed over eagerly. </p><p>They then were asked to prepare a swelling solution in their pairs. Anne and Irwin received several extra points for Ravenclaw for brewing it perfectly.</p><p>Anne was just musing over well her first day was going over a ham sandwich at lunch when she was disturbed by her brother sitting down opposite her.</p><p>“Hey, there little sis!” greeted Harry cheerily.</p><p>“Hi,” she muttered. Why did he always insist on calling her little sister? Just because he was a few minutes older than her!</p><p>“It was weird missing the train yesterday!”</p><p>“Yeah what did happen there?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“Well, I and Ron tried to run at the platform. But we crashed!” Harry explained. “Hedwig went berzerk!”</p><p>“I can imagine, the poor thing,” said Padma who had always been fond of Hedwig.</p><p>“It was alright though; Sirius and Remus were still on the muggle side of the platform too. We sent an owl to the school and spent a day messing about!” Harry laughed, “It was like an extra day of holiday!”</p><p>“It’s alright for some!” said Terry with a hint of jealousy.</p><p>“Your sister meanwhile was worrying where you were whilst you and Ron were skylarking!” snapped Mandy.</p><p>“Sorry about that sis, we should have rung you earlier,” said Harry.</p><p>“Its ok” muttered Anne, “as long as you’re alright!”</p><p>“Ok then!” said Harry cheerily, “sorry I’ve got to go me and Ron are going to go explore a secret passageway before Herbology!” he jabbered.</p><p>“Honestly that brother of yours!” said Mandy.</p><p>“He’s just so full of energy,” agreed Lisa. “I’m surprised he ever stops to sleep!”</p><p>“Sometimes he doesn’t” muttered Anne.</p><p>The Ravenclaws were still laughing about how stupid and reckless the Gryffindors were when they arrived at double Defence that afternoon.</p><p>The Ravenclaws had Defence with the Slytherins this year, and Anne and Irwin settled into their usual desk in the front of the room.</p><p>“Have you lot actually read these books?” asked Malfoy when he came in.</p><p>“Of course, they are on the reading list,” said Persephone.</p><p>“Just because you lot have read them doesn’t mean they are actually any good!” said Pansy with her nose stuck in the air.</p><p> “Face it, Pansy, they’re weirdos they’d read rubbish if you put it in front of them!” said Malfoy.</p><p>“They actually have read rubbish if they’ve read all those books!” Pansy laughed.</p><p>“At least they’re not all freaks like Potter!” said Malfoy sneering.</p><p>“Leave her alone!” shouted Irwin pulling out his wand and pointing it at Malfoy.</p><p>“Oh, Look Potter! You’ve got yourself a boyfriend!”</p><p>“What’s she ever done to you? Apart from top you in every exam!” shouted Irwin. Terry Michael and Anthony all got out their wands and stood next to Irwin.</p><p>“Oh yeah! She’s an intelligent freak I’ll give her that but a freak all the same! I mean” Malfoy sniggered, “you didn’t see her in Flourish and Blotts! Almost as bad as she is now!” he cackled.</p><p>Irwin looked under the desk and sure enough, there was Anne having another panic attack.</p><p>“Malfoy just leave them,” drawled Blaise, “they’re not worth your time.”</p><p>Malfoy swaggered to the back of the classroom the Ravenclaws glaring at him.</p><p>Terry, Michael, Anthony and Irwin all put their wands away still muttering.</p><p>“Count the floor tiles, Anne,” said Irwin gently as he joined her under the desk.</p><p>“You alright?” he asked as Anne’s breathing became more regular.</p><p>Anne nodded.</p><p>“Look just ignore him, he’s a real piece of work!”</p><p>Irwin helped Anne out from under the desk as Professor Lockhart came into the room. </p><p>“Well Hello there!” he beamed showing his pearly white teeth. “Let me introduce you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Me!”</p><p>Today Professor Lockhart was wearing fuchsia coloured robes with silver spangles. The Ravenclaws stared at him. It was now clear that the egotistical and vain idiot was not just an exaggerated persona he put into the books.</p><p>“I see you have all bought a set of my books. Excellent! I’m going to give you all a quiz to see how well you’ve read them!”</p><p>“A test on the first day back?” asked Padma excitedly.</p><p>“Brilliant!!” exclaimed Michael and Terry.</p><p>The Slytherins sniggered at the Ravenclaws reaction to a test.</p><p>Even the Ravenclaws groaned though once they started the paper!</p><p>1.	What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favourite colour?<br/>2.	What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s secret ambition?<br/>3.	What in your opinion is Gilderoy Lockhart’s greatest achievement to date?<br/>4.	What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s full name?<br/>5.	What schoolhouse was Gilderoy Lockhart in?<br/>6.	Who is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favourite person?<br/>7.	Who is Gilderoy Lockhart’s biggest fan<br/>8.	What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favourite flower?</p><p>There were 57 questions in total!</p><p>Anne frantically scrabbled all her answers down. A test was a test! No matter how pointless it was.</p><p>After half an hour Lockhart collected their papers. “I’m impressed much better than my last class!”</p><p>“A few of you even got full marks! My favourite person is myself, I used to be in Ravenclaw, and my biggest fan is Gladys Gudgeon.”</p><p>He checked the papers again for names, “congratulations Anthony Goldstein, Anne Potter and Irwin Scamander, five points each for Ravenclaw!”</p><p>Anne stared at her shoes. Just because he had had to read his books does not mean he wasn’t an idiot!</p><p>“Right, now, for the practical part of the lesson,” said Lockhart reaching under his desk for a covered cage.</p><p>“Now don’t be afraid and don’t scream! It might provoke them!” he beamed pulling off the cover.</p><p>The cage was full of electric blue creatures no bigger than fairies.</p><p>“Cornish Pixies?” drawled Blaise.</p><p>“What’s so frightening about them?” laughed Pansy.</p><p>“Oh! You think they’re funny, do you?” said Lockhart. “Let’s see what you make of them now!” he said throwing open the cage with a flourish.</p><p>“Merlin’s bloody pants!” yelled Padma ducking under her desk.</p><p>“The mans a lunatic!” yelled Anthony hitting some Cornish Pixies with a book.</p><p>Lockhart had conveniently run out of the room once the chaos began.</p><p>“Don’t worry guys! Grandpa told me how to handle these!” said Irwin getting out his wand.</p><p>“The spell in immobulus” he told them.</p><p>“Immobulus!” he called pointing his wand at a pixie which then froze.</p><p>The room was soon full of Ravenclaws yelling “Immobulus!!” and all the pixies were soon frozen. The Slytherins had done a runner with Lockhart.</p><p>“That man is a flipping idiot” moaned Mandy as they left for dinner.</p><p>“How did an idiot like him ever make it into Ravenclaw?” wondered Michael.</p><p>“There’s a question for the ages!” said Anthony dryly. </p><p>That night the Ravenclaw Second Years gathered around the mirror whilst they talked to Remus and Sirius.</p><p>“Hiya Remus, Sirius” called Mandy</p><p>“Hi Remus, Sirius,” said Anne.</p><p>“Hi, Anne” chuckled Sirius “Anne’s entourage!”</p><p>“How are you, Remus?” Anne asked nervously knowing that last night had been a full moon.</p><p>“Not so good...” he muttered.</p><p>“Don’t worry darling I'm fine!” he added seeing the look of anguish on Anne's face. “It’s Greyback!” he admitted. “He’s the werewolf that bit me as a child, he made another attack last night.”</p><p>“Oh!” said Padma.</p><p>“Are you alright though?” asked Irwin urgently.</p><p>“Yes, I’m fine! Its just Greyback is giving us werewolves a lot of bad press at the moment.” Remus was quiet for a moment. “How was your first day then?”</p><p>“It was great!” exclaimed Michael.</p><p>“We got given three essays!” said Padma.</p><p>“We even had a test!” said Persephone.</p><p>“A test on the first day back!” said Sirius. “I’ll bet that was Snivillus!”</p><p>They all laughed at Sirius’ nickname for Snape.</p><p>“No its worse than that!” laughed Terry.</p><p>“It was Lockhart!” continued Michael.</p><p>“What kind of rubbish did he expect to you know?” asked Sirius.</p><p>“Oh you know his star sign, favourite type of tea other stupid stuff” explained Irwin.</p><p>“His star sign!” cackled Sirius.</p><p>“And then, the stupid man set a cage of Cornish pixies on us!” said Mandy almost breathless with laughter.</p><p>They all spent a while making fun of Lockhart and they soon forgot about the attack by Fenrir Greyback.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Loony Loony Lovegood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luna comes down to breakfast with no shoes....</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They had been back at Hogwarts for about a week when Anne noticed that there was something unusual with Luna. She had been keeping to herself and being even more quiet than usual. It was when Luna came down to breakfast with no shoes when she had had enough!</p><p>“Luna?” asked Anne as Luna sat down in the Great Hall. “Where are your shoes?”</p><p>“Hmm?” she asked tucking into toast. “Oh! My shoes, I think the nargles stole them!”</p><p>“Luna, the nargles don’t exist!” said Mandy</p><p>“Oh yes they do!” replied Luna in a voice less dreamy than usual, “just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they’re not there!”</p><p>“Back to the point Luna where are your shoes?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“And also when did you last do your hair?” added Anne when she saw how tangled Luna's hair was.</p><p>“The nargles” she explained simply.</p><p>“What?” asked Anne</p><p>“The nargles have been taking my things since I arrived! This school is infested with them!” said Luna dreamily.</p><p>“Um Luna, apart from your shoes and your hairbrush is there anything the ‘nargles’ have taken?” asked Irwin giving Anne a meaningful look.</p><p>“Just my schoolbooks, my dream diary, and a charm bracelet.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“Well I’d best be getting going I’ve got potions now,” said Luna back to her dreamy herself as she skipped out of the hall.</p><p>“What the hell was that about?” asked Terry.</p><p>“Somebodies taking Luna's things!” said Lisa.</p><p>“And I don’t think it’s the nargles!” said Irwin through gritted teeth.</p><p>It was a good that it was Monday because the Ravenclaws had double charms last thing on Monday so they had an opportunity to talk to Professor Flitwick. They waited patiently for the Gryffindors to leave at the end of the lesson.</p><p>Flitwick looked up from his desk when the lesson ended and found that the nine Ravenclaws were still resolutely sitting in their seats.</p><p>“Can I help you all with something?” asked Flitwick curiously.</p><p>Anne was staring at her shoes and playing with her plaits as she always did when she was nervous.</p><p>“Um well, sir...” started Anthony.</p><p>“Look I can tell there’s a problem,” he said smiling around at his students “and I would like to help if I can.”</p><p>“It's about Luna sir…” muttered Anne.</p><p>“Ah, yes Miss Lovegood.” Flitwick sighed.</p><p>“We think her roommates are bullying her,” explained Lisa.</p><p>Flitwick nodded at them as permission to continue.</p><p>“Things have been going missing from her room. Her books, her hairbrush, her charm bracelet, and today she came down to breakfast without any shoes,” said Irwin scowling.</p><p>“Ah yes, I was wondering why Miss Lovegood had no shoes at lunch today, I was going to have a word with her and check she was alright but then one of my students needed some help with an assignment.”</p><p>The young Ravenclaws stared at their mentor wondering what to do.</p><p>“Luna is an unusual girl,” Flitwick explained. “Her year group are not as…. Accepting of the diverse and unusual as your own is.”</p><p>Lisa and Mandy blushed. Back in their first week of knowing Anne they had said some horrible things about Anne. But this was before they got to know her properly.</p><p>“I have tried to talk to them about accepting Luna for who she is but clearly it didn’t work,” said Flitwick sadly.</p><p>“So Luna doesn’t have any friends in her year?” asked Anne anxiously.</p><p>Flitwick shook his head.</p><p>“Don’t worry Anne,” said Irwin putting an arm around her shoulder. “Lunas got friends, she’s got us!”</p><p>“Mr. Scamander is right! Luna has very good friends if you lot worry about her this much!”</p><p>“There’s one more thing, sir,” began Anthony, “what about all of Luna’s things?”</p><p>“That’s a good point! Why don’t we make a list and then we can search Ravenclaw Tower for Luna’s missing possessions?” suggested Persephone.</p><p>“That sounds like an excellent idea Miss Galentos,” trilled Professor Flitwick.</p><p>“Come on let's go find Luna,” said Terry.</p><p>“Yeah I’m hungry!” said Michael.</p><p>“Oh, that’s a good point!”</p><p>“For Merlin’s sake” shouted Mandy as they went into the Great Hall “you two are like a pair of pigs!” </p><p>“Luna!” exclaimed Padma as they went over to the dinner table.</p><p>“Oh hello!” replied Luna dreamily as they all sat down</p><p>“I don’t know why you all bother!” said a dark-haired boy as they sat down.</p><p>“Bother with what?” asked Michael.</p><p>“With Loony,” said a girl sitting next to him.</p><p>“Who?” asked Terry through gritted teeth.</p><p>“Loony, you know, Loony Loony Lovegood” answered the dark-haired boy.</p><p>Luna burst into tears and ran away from the table.</p><p>“Luna wait!” called Anne who followed Luna out the hall closely pursued by Padma, Persephone, and Lisa.</p><p>“You know what?” said Irwin turning towards the first years. “You lot are horrible! All she wanted when she came to Hogwarts was to make friends!”</p><p>“But all you lot do is steal her stuff and call her crazy!” continued Anthony.</p><p>The first years were staring at them in shock.</p><p>“She’s not crazy! She’s just different!” yelled Michael</p><p>“If I were you lot I would give Luna her stuff back and leave her alone!” shouted Terry.</p><p>“And if you don’t want to be friends with her then fine! She doesn’t need you!” finished Mandy.</p><p>The Ravenclaw first years were confused. Why were the second years making such a big deal over someone so crazy as Luna?</p><p>“May I be of assistance?” asked Professor Flitwick who had heard the whole thing from the staff table.</p><p>“No sir,” said Irwin as they all got up, “we were just leaving.”</p><p>“Ah good!” said Flitwick smiling, “I presume Miss Lovegood will be finding the things that have gone missing.”</p><p>The first years nodded, not wanting to make the second years mad again.</p><p>They had made it out of the Great Hall when they realized that none of them had actually eaten! So, Anthony, Irwin, Michael, Terry, and Mandy all went down to the kitchen to get enough food for everyone.</p><p>Once they got back to the Common Room laden down with bags of food the other girls had managed to find Luna and were trying to calm her down.</p><p>“Don’t worry Luna you don’t need them,” muttered Anne.</p><p>“Yeah they’re a bunch of losers!” added Lisa.</p><p>“We like you, you can be friends with us!” said Padma smiling warmly.</p><p>“And if that lot are horrible to you again” groaned Mandy dropping heavy bags of food.</p><p>“We’ll hex them!” finished Michael and Terry also dropping their bags of food.</p><p>“Thank you,” sobbed Luna as Persephone passed her a handkerchief “thank you all,” she said giving them a very watery smile.</p><p>“Come on you lot!’ said Anthony who had been unpacking the bags with Irwin, “let’s eat!”</p><p>The elves had provided a feast for the group of friends; crisps, roast chicken, sausages, ham sandwiches, chips, chicken nuggets, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, raspberries, grapes, apples, and a couple of dozen bottles of ice-cold butter beer.</p><p>“Luna?” asked Padma when Luna had finished eating, “would you like me to brush your hair?”</p><p>Luna nodded eagerly.</p><p>Luna had very long thick hair and her hairbrush had gone missing a week ago. The girls sat for an hour gently brushing all the tangles out of Luna's hair taking it in turns. When Luna's hair was detangled, then Lisa brushed Luna's hair into two long plaits.</p><p>The first years had been staring at the group since they came back from dinner, but they just ignored them.</p><p>When everyone went up to bed that night, Luna came charging into their room. </p><p>“Anne! Lisa! Padma! Persephone! Mandy!” she cried.</p><p>“What is it?” asked Mandy brushing her hair. Anne came wandering in halfway through brushing her teeth. </p><p>“The nargles have returned all my belongings!” Luna beamed before skipping of to bed.</p><p>“Well even if they don’t want to be friends with her” Mandy muttered once Luna had left, “at least Luna won’t be running around barefoot anymore!”</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. A Very Unusual Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gang attend a deathday party</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the time that October came around, Luna had gone back to her usual if somewhat dreamy self. She wasn’t going around barefoot anymore, and it helped that she actually had some friends. If the first years still thought, she was a bit ‘loony’ they didn’t say it to her face anymore because they were worried about getting hexed by Luna's new friends.</p><p>Luna and the second year Ravenclaws were eating dinner after a long Saturday in the library. They were eating large portions of beef casserole whilst discussing different hexes and jinxes they had been reading about. They had had enough of how little they were learning from Lockhart the group had decided to try and figure out how to defend themselves!</p><p>Anthony and Irwin were in the middle of discussing the jelly legs jinx when a very wet and muddy Harry flopped down at their table.</p><p>“Hello Harry!” said Luna dreamily.</p><p>“Hi Luna,” replied Harry as he sat down.</p><p>“And what has happened to our usual cheery Harry today?” asked Lisa.</p><p>Harry merely scowled at her.</p><p>“Yeah why aren’t you bouncing off the walls?” asked Terry.</p><p>“And why are so muddy?” added Michael.</p><p>“It's Wood!” he admitted serving casserole on to his plate. “He has gone crazy! We are practising every single day, he is obsessed with beating Slytherin!”</p><p>“I thought you wanted to beat Slytherin too? You know show Malfoy who’s the better seeker?” asked Padma.</p><p>“Yeah you’re right, but Wood got us up at five o’clock, we practised for about ten hours today and it's chucking it down with rain! I want to beat Malfoy but I don’t want to get ill dong it?”</p><p>“Oh Harry, you’re not ill are you?” asked Anne</p><p>“No I’m fine just starving, to top it all not only did I have ten hours of practice but I then ran into Filch!”</p><p>The Ravenclaws groaned.</p><p>“What the hell did he want this time?” asked Anthony.</p><p>“he tried to give me detention for ‘befouling the castle,’” moaned Harry as he shovelled food into his mouth. “He would have gotten away with it to if it hadn’t been for Nick!”</p><p>“Oh, that’s nice, did you know its nearly his 500th death day?” asked Anne.</p><p>“Ahh!” Harry screamed, “I just remembered I promised I’d go to that thing! It’s a bloody shame it’s on the same day as the Halloween feast!”</p><p>“Don’t worry its ok, Anne and I are going too,” said Irwin. “The Grey Lady invited us, apparently Nick wants a few students there to make himself look better in front of the headless hunt or something.”</p><p>“I’m quite looking forward to it,” muttered Anne, “a death day party could be quite fascinating!”</p><p>“Yeah well I’d much rather be at the feast!” replied Harry.</p><p>“Do you boys ever think about anything apart from food?” asked Mandy.</p><p>“No!” replied Terry, Michael and Harry spraying food everywhere.</p><p>The day of Halloween arrived, and Harry was still groaning about the party. </p><p>“Dumbledore’s apparently booked some really good entertainment! And the food is amazing!”</p><p>“You promised!” rebuked Hermione.</p><p>“But the food!” muttered Harry and Ron.</p><p>“Still moaning, are you?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“Nah not really,” replied Harry.</p><p>“I’ll tell you what,” said Anne, “if you’re really that hungry we can go get some food from the kitchens after the party.”</p><p>“Thanks, Anne! You’re brilliant you know that?” said Harry beaming.</p><p>Anne blushed.</p><p>They had now reached the room where the party was being held. They went through the door and Anne nearly gagged. She had been hit by the smell of rotting food, there was a table in the middle of the room covered in mouldy and rotting food including a putrid fish.</p><p>“Hello!” called Nick, “Thank you all for coming!”</p><p>“That’s alright,” said Harry, “anything for a friend!”</p><p>Anne was still attempting to hide her gagging behind her hands. </p><p>“Hello, Anne, dear,” said the Grey Lady as she came gliding over, “sorry I forgot to warn you about the food!” she muttered so that Nick couldn’t hear.</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry that’s alright, I’ll just try and keep away from the table!” </p><p>“Oh good,” Helena beamed, “now why don’t I introduce you all to some of my friends?”</p><p>Nick was still busy talking to Harry Ron and Hermione, so Helena led Anne and Irwin to a small group of other ghosts.</p><p>“This is the Fat Friar, he is the Hufflepuff ghost,” Helena said beckoning to a short fat ghost wearing monks’ robes.</p><p>“It is a pleasure to meet you!” said the friar. “Are you by any chance a Scamander?” </p><p>Irwin nodded.</p><p>“Ah, then you must be Irwin! Your brother Rolf has told me many good things about you!” continued the friar, “incidentally you look remarkably like your grandfather!”</p><p>“And so this,” he said turning towards Anne, “must be Anne Potter? Helena has told me many great things about you and Irwin, she misses you greatly when you go home for the holidays”</p><p>If it was possible for a ghost to blush, the Grey Lady was now blushing.</p><p>Anne and Irwin talked to the friar for a while, he had a lot of stories about what Newt had got up to at school! They were soon joined by Harry Ron and Hermione and the group were listening to the Friar telling them all about a time that Newt had managed to sneak a niffler into the Hufflepuff Common Room only for it go around stealing peoples things when they were rudely interrupted.</p><p>They looked up to find that they were being pelted with mouldy nuts.</p><p>“Oh look! Its Potter wee Potter!” cackled Peeves pelting them all with nuts. </p><p>“Peeves, please leave us alone!” said the Friar gently.</p><p>Peeves shut up but only so that he could stick out his tongue.</p><p>A ghost who was much younger than the others and was covered in pimples came drifting over to the group.</p><p>“Hello Myrtle!” greeted Hermione.</p><p>“Hello,” mumbled Myrtle.</p><p>“Is there something wrong dear?” asked the friar kindly.</p><p>Myrtle said nothing but merely glared at Peeves.</p><p>“Ah,” said Helena, “Peeves have you been bullying Myrtle again?”</p><p>“So, what if I have?” cackled Peeves, “she only Moaning Myrtle!”</p><p>Myrtle looked like she was about to start crying.</p><p>“And she is covered in spots! Spotty!” said Peeves now pelting Myrtle with the nuts. Peeves chased Myrtle around the room throwing nuts and insults at her.</p><p>“That poltergeist, I sometimes wish we could expel him” muttered the Grey Lady.</p><p>“Now now Helena, everyone deserves a second chance” interrupted the Friar.</p><p>“He’s had countless chances!”</p><p>But the two ghosts were interrupted from their argument over Peeves. Half a dozen ghosts had just come charging through the wall on horseback screaming at the top of their lungs.</p><p>“Oh, here we go again,” said the Friar.</p><p>“The Headless Hunt!” finished the Grey Lady.</p><p>“Oh yeah that’s right!” exclaimed Harry, “I’m supposed to be talking Nick up to that lot!”</p><p>Harry Ron and Hermione started to head over to Nick and the Headless Hunt.</p><p>“Poor Nick,” said the Friar shaking his head.</p><p>“He’s so desperate to join them but they just won’t let him!” said Helena.</p><p>“He’s better off without them in my opinion!” said Irwin, “they look like a bunch of prats!” The Headless Hunt had just started playing head hockey interrupting Nick’s speech.</p><p>“You’re right young Irwin, he’s far too kind!” agreed the Friar.</p><p>After talking to the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw ghosts for a while longer Harry Ron and Hermione came over. </p><p>“I’m starving!” complained Ron.</p><p>“Yeah can we go get some food now?” asked Harry.</p><p>“Oh alright then, it's just along here,” said Irwin, “Come on Anne!”</p><p>“Goodbye Helena, Friar!” said Anne waving at the guests as she followed the others out the room.</p><p>“We’re already in the dungeons it’s just along here,” said Irwin leading them towards the kitchens.</p><p>They were heading along the passage when Harry stopped in his tracks.</p><p>“Can you guys hear something?” asked Harry.</p><p>“You’re probably just imagining things!” said Hermione.</p><p>“Yeah hallucinating from lack of food!” laughed Ron.</p><p>Harry though turned around and started heading away from the dungeons. </p><p>“Harry? Harry what’s going on!” panicked Anne for Harry was now pressing his ear to the wall and then running up the stairs.</p><p>“Following the voice! It’s going to kill someone!” shouted Harry not stopping his running.</p><p>Ron Hermione Irwin and Anne followed Harry out of the dungeons. But he didn’t stop in the Great Hall where they were just finishing dinner but kept running up to the first floor.</p><p>“Harry calm down mate!” shouted Ron as he sprinted to catch up with Harry.</p><p>“Come back!” called Anne struggling to keep up with him.</p><p>Harry came to a sudden stop however when he reached a deserted passageway on the first floor which was lit with torches.</p><p>“Harry!” called Ron breathlessly “what the hell was that about!” as the others caught up with Harry.</p><p>“We couldn’t hear anything!” said Irwin.</p><p>Anne, however, was pointing to something shinning on the wall, however.</p><p>The others turned to look. At the end of the corridor in foot-high letters shining in the torchlight was written.<br/>The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware.</p><p>“What the…” muttered Ron.</p><p>“What’s that?” asked Hermione nervously pointing to something hanging by the writing</p><p>They walked towards the sign and found Mrs Norris stiff as a board and hanging from a torch bracket.</p><p>‘Um guys” faltered Irwin, “that’s not written in ink, that’s blood,” he said pointing towards the message.</p><p>Anne was starting to feel dizzy again, she wasn’t sure if it was from lack of food or panic. Probably a combination of the two.</p><p>“Let's get out of here!” called Ron.</p><p>As Irwin started to steer the shocked Anne away from the scene however, they began to hear the chatter and bustle of the crowds of students coming back from dinner.</p><p>“Bugger!” muttered Harry, as they were surrounded by students.</p><p>“Ok Anne, now you can panic!” whispered Irwin.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Mudbloods!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mrs. Norris has been petrified and our gang have some explaining to do</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Enemies of the Heir beware?” sniggered Malfoy who had pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “You’ll be next mudbloods! Unless of course” he added looking directly at Anne, “they want to get rid of the freaks too!”</p><p>“What’s going on here?” called Filch working his way towards the source of the commotion. “Potter!” he said abruptly, but then he noticed the cat. “My cat!! You have killed my cat!!!”</p><p>“No! I had nothing to do with Mrs. Norris!” protested Harry.</p><p>“You’ve killed her! I’ll kill you I’ll kill the lot of you!” screamed Filch advancing at the students and starting to shake Anne.</p><p>If the screaming and the panic hadn’t done it, being picked and shaking by Filch did. Anne suddenly went into shut down.</p><p>“Argus!” yelled Dumbledore. “Put her down!” Filch had been shaking Anne who had been standing the nearest to him vigorously.</p><p>The teachers had arrived at the scene and Filch let go of Anne. Dumbledore saw the writing on the wall and the frozen cat hanging from the torch bracket.</p><p>“Argus come with me,” he said turning to Filch, “You too Mr and Miss Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Scamander, and Miss Granger.”</p><p>Irwin looked at Anne nervously who was staring in shock “you alright Anne?” Anne didn’t answer.</p><p>“Mr. Scamander,” called Professor Flitwick, “we need to go talk to Professor Dumbledore,” he said gently as he led Irwin and Anne towards Lockhart’s office. </p><p>“My cat is dead!” protested Filch as they entered the office.</p><p>“She is not dead Argus,” said Dumbledore investigating Mrs. Norris.</p><p>“Then why does she look dead!”</p><p>“She is petrified,” he explained, “but as for how I’m afraid I do not know.”</p><p>“Ask him!” he said pointing a finger at Harry, “since he’s the one that’s done it!”</p><p>“No second year could have done that, it requires advanced dark magic!”</p><p>“He did it! I know he did!” yelled Filch reaching for Anne again.</p><p>“Keep off her!” said Irwin standing in front Anne.</p><p>“I didn’t touch Mrs. Norris!” shouted Harry, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” </p><p>“If I may say something sir?” interrupted Snape, “it may just be that Harry and his friends were in the wrong place at the wrong time? But” he sneered “these are very suspicious circumstances, why that corridor, and why were they not at the feast?”</p><p>“We were at a deathday party,” stated Hermione.</p><p>“There were loads of ghosts if you need witnesses!” finished Ron.</p><p>“What about food?” asked Snape.</p><p>“We were going to go to the kitchens,” began Irwin, “when,”</p><p>“When we decided that we weren’t hungry,” finished Ron.</p><p>“Well that seems like a logical solution to me!” said Flitwick.</p><p>“Innocent until proven guilty,” said Dumbledore.</p><p>“My cat has been petrified! I want to see some punishment!”</p><p>“She can be cured Argus; Professor Sprout has some young Mandrakes and once they have matured a potion can be prepared.”</p><p>This seemed to calm Filch down but only slightly.</p><p>“You may go now,” said Dumbledore looking towards the students.</p><p>Anne, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Irwin all left the office, possibly more confused when they went out then when they went in. Professor Flitwick had followed them out the door.</p><p>The Gryffindors ran off to their Common Room happy to escape.</p><p>“Irwin?” he asked. Irwin had been looking at Anne half terrified half furious. “May we please have a word in my office?”</p><p>“Why did he have to shake Anne like that, she was terrified!”</p><p>“Mr. Scamander, I understand your feelings but Mr. Filch had just been through a great shock,” Flitwick explained calmly.</p><p>“He still shouldn’t have touched her!”</p><p>“I agree with you,” said Flitwick. “Irwin, why were you and Anne down that corridor?”</p><p>“Harry had heard something as we were on the way to the kitchens, he ran off and we followed him, the corridor was like that when we got there” Irwin explained.</p><p>“I see,” said Flitwick. “You two must be starving!” he flicked his wand and a large platter of sandwiches appeared on the table.</p><p>“You believe us?” asked Irwin confused.</p><p>Flitwick nodded.</p><p>Irwin tucked into a sandwich with gusto only just realizing just how hungry he actually was.  </p><p>“Anne dear you need to eat,” Flitwick prompted gently after a while.</p><p>Anne just continued to stare into space. Irwin was getting even more anxious now.</p><p>“Anne’s had a long day Irwin,” said Flitwick gently placing an arm on Irwin’s shoulder, “maybe you should take Anne back to the Common Room.”</p><p>Irwin nodded and started to guide Anne back to Ravenclaw Tower. </p><p>“Come on Anne,” said Irwin, “you need to go get some sleep, you’ll be alright,” Anne said nothing but just nodded and headed up to her dormitory.</p><p>Irwin sighed.</p><p>“What’s up with Anne?” asked Anthony.</p><p>“I have got no clue!” sighed Irwin flopping down into his chair.</p><p>“Well if you don’t know, the rest of us have got no hope!” said Mandy.</p><p> Irwin slowly explained to the other second years what had happened before he headed up to bed. </p><p>He lied down on his bed struggling to get to sleep worried about Anne. It wasn’t as if she had had another panic attack, he could cope with that, tell her to count the floor tiles calm her down. </p><p>But today had been different, she hadn’t reacted to anything when Anne went into shut down like that, he just didn’t know what to do!</p><p>Anne had already been panicking before the people started to arrive, then Filch had started yelling at them, Filch had hurt Anne. He hated Filch!</p><p>And Malfoy! Bloody Malfoy! He had used today as another excuse to call Anne a freak! Irwin didn’t know why Malfoy appeared to have a problem with her if he asked Malfoy would probably only have answered: “it’s more the fact that she exists!”</p><p>Irwin eventually dropped off to sleep but even his subconscious kept drifting back to Anne. The next morning Anne got up early feeling better after a good night's sleep. She was going through her copy of Hogwarts a History.</p><p>“Morning Anne,” yawned Irwin, “I thought you knew that book back to front?”</p><p>“I do” she muttered, “I was trying to find out about the Chamber of Secrets.”</p><p>“Then what’s the problem?”</p><p>“Well, it’s not really in here!”</p><p>“Well then maybe it doesn’t exist!”</p><p>“Irwin, I think you’ll find that the sign outside the girl’s bathroom and Mrs. Norris would beg to differ” </p><p>“That’s true, maybe we could ask Professor Binns?” suggested Irwin.</p><p>“Ok,” she muttered before getting her bag ready for the day.</p><p>The Ravenclaws had Professor Binns the lesson before lunch. He called the register as usual and then he got on with his lecture. He was surprised when he was interrupted from his regular lectures by someone having their hand up in class.</p><p>“Excuse me Sir?” asked Anne cautiously.</p><p>“Did somebody say something?” asked Professor Binns.</p><p>“Um me sir.”</p><p>“Yes, Miss Potter?”</p><p>“I was wondering” she muttered, “if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?”</p><p>“Miss Potter, I would have thought that you know better than to believe in such nonsense there is no secret chamber it is a myth!”</p><p>“But sir,” continued Persephone, “what about the writing  on the wall and Filch’s cat?”</p><p>“It is a myth!” said Professor Binns “I teach History, not mythology!”</p><p>“Please sir!” said Terry, “if as you say it is a myth could you please at least tell us that?”</p><p>“Fine!” he said exasperated. “Well as you all know, Hogwarts was founded by the four house founders over a thousand years ago Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. For a while, the founders got on very well but after a while, Slytherin decided he would only accept pureblood wizards.” </p><p>Professor Binns stopped for a moment “are you sure you all want to hear this?” The Ravenclaws nodded eagerly. “Very well then, Slytherin decided that he was no longer welcome at the school and decided to leave. There is a legend that he left a monster in a chamber hidden in the school to rid the school of those students who he did not believe have pure blood. The legend goes that one day he would send his heir to free the monster and unleash it on the muggle-borns of the school.”</p><p>Professor Bins finished telling them about the monster and found the Ravenclaws staring at him speechless. “It is a legend! You’ve got nothing to worry about!”</p><p>“Now, shall we get on with actual history!” asked Binns before continuing with his lecture</p><p>Anne had begun to hyperventilate a monster attacking students in the school! A monster who hasn’t been caught in over a thousand years! How was that even possible?</p><p>Irwin and Anne met up with Harry Ron and Hermione over lunch in an empty classroom and explained about the chamber.</p><p>“Well the solutions obvious,” said Ron, “just get rid of all the Slytherins!”</p><p>“Don’t be stupid Ron!” scowled Hermione “they can’t just expel a whole house!”</p><p>“I think its Malfoy,” said Harry, “you heard him last night!”</p><p>“I agree!” said Irwin.</p><p>Four pairs of eyes stared at him in shock.</p><p>“What?” asked Anne abruptly.</p><p>“What do you mean you think Malfoys behind it?” asked Hermione suspiciously.</p><p>“It’s as Harry said, Malfoy threatened the muggle-borns last night!” said Irwin. “He also threatened Anne!” he finished threateningly.</p><p>Anne pulled at her plaits and stared down at her shoes.</p><p>“What?” asked Ron</p><p>“He said they might get rid of the freaks too!” Irwin explained through gritted teeth. </p><p>“He’s always bullying her!” said Harry.</p><p>“You can’t go jumping to any conclusions,” said Hermione warningly. </p><p>“Yeah you’re right we need proof!” said Harry.</p><p>“That’s not what I meant!”</p><p>“No you’re both right, we can’t jump to any conclusions until we have proof,” considered Irwin “we need to question him!”</p><p>“Please don’t get into any trouble!” begged Anne.</p><p>“Don’t worry! We won’t” said Ron.</p><p>“So are you saying,” realized Hermione, “that we need to question Malfoy?”</p><p>“Yes,” said Irwin, “but how?”</p><p>“Polyjuice Potion?” offered Hermione.</p><p>“But that’s really advanced!” interjected Anne.</p><p>“And it takes a month to brew!” added Irwin, “but it could work!”</p><p>“You two are better at potions than me!” said Hermione, “if we get the ingredients can you do it?”</p><p>Irwin looked at Anne who was still staring at her shoes. </p><p>“Anne?”</p><p>Anne looked up, “if we don’t stop them, Malfoy will get rid of all the muggle-borns, like Hermione and Lisa?”</p><p>“Yes Anne!” said Harry.</p><p>“Then I’ll help even though I’m scared!” admitted Anne cautiously</p><p>“Well done Anne!” said Irwin patting her on the back.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Emergency Chocolate Supply</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Our gang begins to brew the potion and Harry plays another Quidditch match</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We’ve got the stuff!” Harry told Irwin and Anne during Charms a few days later.</p><p>They had decided to brew the potion in Myrtle’s Bathroom because it was hardly ever used.</p><p>“No one ever goes in here!” said Hermione as she helped Irwin set up her cauldron that afternoon after the end of lessons.</p><p>“These are some really complicated ingredients!” murmured Irwin looking at them all, “how did you get this lot?”</p><p>“We had to nick it from Snape!” said Ron.</p><p>“Well I hope this works because we can only afford one try!” said Irwin.</p><p>“Harry, I’ve been thinking,” said Anne.</p><p>“Do you ever stop thinking sis?” Harry chuckled.</p><p>Anne merely blushed. “It would be impractical for us all to take Polyjuice, the more of us transform the more obvious it is, why don’t me and Irwin follow you under the invisibility cloak instead of taking the potion?”</p><p>“That might work you know!” said Hermione</p><p>“Yeah, the more of us transform into Slytherins the more extra work there’s going to be, finding the hairs, getting rid of the Slytherins you know,” agreed Ron.</p><p>“When should it be finished?” asked Harry</p><p>“About a week before the Christmas holidays start,” Irwin told him.</p><p>The Polyjuice potion was a very difficult potion to make but seeing as Anne Irwin and Hermione were all good at potion making it wasn’t as difficult as it could have been, but it did take a whole month to brew.</p><p>They did find themselves spending a lot of time in Myrtle's bathroom but Myrtle did not seem to mind as she enjoyed all the company.</p><p>“Hello again!” called Myrtle a few days after they started brewing.</p><p>“Hi Myrtle!” greeted Irwin and Anne before going to join Ron and Hermione by the cauldron.</p><p>Anne added a few more ingredients and then stirred it a few times and then turned the heat down.</p><p>“Ok, we need to let it simmer for an hour now,” Anne told them.</p><p>“No training tonight Harry?” asked Irwin as he got out his textbooks to start doing his homework on the bathroom floor whilst the potion simmered.</p><p>“Nah, we’ve got the match tomorrow,” said Harry, “Wood’s given us the night off.”</p><p>“Good you could use one!” muttered Hermione.</p><p>“You’re all going to come tomorrow right?” asked Harry</p><p>“Yeah sure!” replied Ron and Hermione.</p><p>Harry looked over at Anne and Irwin who had started their homework. “Um, guys you are coming tomorrow?”</p><p>“Harry you know what Anne gets like when you’re flying!” said Irwin, “we would love to come to watch you but Anne freaked out completely last time”</p><p>“Anne,” said Harry trying to reassure his sister, “I get it sis, you worry about me, let's face it you worry about bloody everything!” </p><p>Anne was pulling at her plaits as her brother tried to talk to her.</p><p>“Look, that one match you saw Quirrell was jinxing my broom, most matches aren’t like that! If you take some calming draught before the match that would make it easier as well!” </p><p>Anne thought for a moment, the last match she went to Harry had nearly died. Quidditch always seemed to be dangerous in her opinion flying so high in the air!! The last time she had watched him play she had fainted she was scared! But it meant so much to Harry.</p><p>“Please sis?” he asked nervously.</p><p>“Ok,” Anne said quietly.</p><p>“What’s everyone doing for Christmas, this will be finished with by then,” Hermione said gesturing towards the Polyjuice potion.</p><p>Harry and Anne looked at each other nervously. </p><p>“Um well, the full moons on the 24th of December, Remus and Sirius don’t want us to come home...” Harry admitted.</p><p>“How is Remus?” asked Ron.</p><p>“He’s fine,” said Harry, “he just doesn’t want to ruin our Christmas he feels like he already ruined our birthday”</p><p>“That’s not true, he would never ruin anything!” cried Anne.</p><p>“I know that sis! But if Remus wants us to stay away this holiday then that’s fine, we can him over the summer!” said Harry.</p><p>Anne pulled at her plaits, as she always did when she was nervous. “He’s not fine…” she stuttered “he’s worried about Greyback.”</p><p>“Anne don’t worry sis Remus is fine, Sirius is looking after him! If you want to see them you can call them on the mirror anytime!” </p><p>“I know,” she struggled “its just not the same.” Anne said with tears running down her cheeks, “I miss him, I’m worried about him!”</p><p>“Come here,” said Irwin giving Anne a hug and passing her a handkerchief. </p><p>“I know its not the same sis, but we can still have a great Christmas at Hogwarts!”</p><p>Irwin thought about this for a moment. Anne had spent last Christmas alone in the Ravenclaw tower and even though she hadn’t admitted it Irwin knew that Anne had been lonely.</p><p>“Um Anne,” Irwin said gently, “do you want to come to mine for Christmas? I know my family would love to see you.”</p><p>“Christmas is a time for family Irwin I’ll be fine”</p><p>“Anne, my family love you and they’d love to see you!”</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yeah of course!”</p><p>Anne dried her eyes and then checked the potion. “It needs stirring again and then we need to add the boomslang skin,” said Anne who began stirring the potion whilst Hermione prepared the boomslang.</p><p>Once they had finished with the potion for the night they packed up their bags and went back to their common rooms. Luna was sitting on the sofa with Mandy and Lisa reading the Quibbler whilst the others discussed Witch Weekly. Anthony and Michael were playing a chess match whilst Terry watched.</p><p>“Um Irwin, I think I want to call Remus…” Anne stammered.</p><p>“But not in front of everyone else?” he offered.</p><p>Anne nodded and they took the mirror up to Irwin’s dorm.</p><p>As they reached the dorm Irwin reached under his bed and fumbled for a box. </p><p>“Emergency chocolate rations!” he announced reappearing from under the bed.</p><p>Irwin had a box full of Honeydukes milk chocolate bars.</p><p>“Thanks, Irwin!” said Anne taking a small square. </p><p>Irwin looked at her as if he expected her to take more but he didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Sirius!” called Anne into the mirror, “Sirius!”</p><p>“Hi Di Hi Anne!” called Sirius, “where’s your entourage?” he asked realizing that he was only talking to Anne and Irwin.</p><p>“I just wanted to talk to you,” she muttered, “I wanted a bit more privacy than normal!”</p><p>“Fair enough kid,” he chuckled, “Remus! Remus! Anne’s on the mirror!!” Sirius called up the stairs.</p><p>Remus appeared in the mirror next to Sirius. Anne noticed that his hair was starting to grey even though he was only 33, and he was getting shadows under his eyes.</p><p>“Hello, sweetheart! Hi Irwin!”</p><p>“Hi Remus, I just wanted to check that you were ok?”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” asked Remus evasively.</p><p>“I’m worried about you!”</p><p>“You worry about everything!” butted in Sirius but Remus put his hand up.</p><p>“Why darling?” asked Remus gently.</p><p>“I know you’re worried about Greyback,” she started, “and I know you don’t want to ruin our Christmas’ but you wouldn’t ruin it I miss you!!”</p><p>“I miss you too darling!” said Remus with tears in his eyes, “but you’ll enjoy yourself more at school!”</p><p>“Um actually Remus, I was going to invite Anne to ours this Christmas,” Irwin admitted.</p><p>“So, it’s all sorted then!” announced Sirius, “you’ll have a wonderful time at the Scamanders!”</p><p>Anne shrugged, “are you sure you’re ok, I mean you’re always going on about Greyback!”</p><p>Remus went white, he had not realized he had been talking about Greyback that much! “I’m fine darling! I only get so upset about Greyback because he attacked me when I was a child. I didn’t mean to worry you” Remus muttered.</p><p>“I love you!” Anne cried. Both her and Remus had tears running down their cheeks.</p><p>“If I could give you a hug through this mirror I would,” Remus chuckled lightly.</p><p>“That’s alright, I’ll give her one for you!” laughed Irwin as he pulled Anne into a hug.</p><p>“Thanks, Irwin!” laughed Remus, “I love you too sweetheart!”</p><p>“See you later guys” called Irwin.</p><p>“Bye!” called Remus and Sirius waving.</p><p>“Right!” said Irwin when the mirror turned off, “emergency chocolate!” he said handing Anne a large slab.</p><p>Anne took a small bite, but Irwin coaxed her into eating the whole piece before he let her go.</p><p>The next morning Anne got up early so that she could get some reading done before the Quidditch match afternoon. </p><p>“Morning Anne!” yawned Irwin at around half past seven when he came down to the Common Room with wet and tousled hair.</p><p>Anne nodded to Irwin in greeting, they read for another half an hour or so before going down to breakfast. They still had nearly three hours before the start of the match so they dint have to hurry.</p><p>“Morning kids!” called Rolf as he joined him at their table.</p><p>Irwin was just starting a large plate of sausages and eggs whilst Anne was slicing an apple with her knife.</p><p>“Hello Rolf”</p><p>“Heya Rolf, how goes the NEWTS?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“As nastily exhausting as on the label!” groaned Rolf.</p><p>“They can’t be that bad!” laughed Anne and Irwin.</p><p>“Just because you two could probably do your NEWTS now doesn’t mean they are easy,” laughed Rolf.</p><p>“You two going to the match?”</p><p>“Yeah, the first match of the season!”</p><p>“Anne as well?”</p><p>“Um, she’s going to try to.”</p><p>“If it gets a bit much for you,” Rolf said looking at Anne, “you can always go back to the castle,” he told her gently.</p><p>Anne nodded.</p><p>“Well if you two are going can I sit with you then?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure!”</p><p>“Good, I don’t get to see enough of my little brother!”</p><p>Before the match, Irwin and Anne ran up to their dormitories to fetch their cloaks and Ravenclaw hats scarves and gloves.</p><p>Rolf, Irwin, and Anne went to go sit with the other second-year Ravenclaws and waited for the match to begin.</p><p>The match began fairly well. Anne was still sat on the edge of her seat in a state of nervousness like last time but at least Harry wasn’t falling off his broom!</p><p>But then after a while, Anne noticed that one of the bludgers was following Harry a bit too closely.</p><p>“Rolf?” Anne asked with a quiver in her voice. “Aren’t the bludgers meant to focus on everyone?”</p><p>Rolf nodded absentmindedly as he was watching one the Gryffindor chasers with the quaffle.</p><p>“Then why,” she stammered, “is that one focusing on Harry?” Anne asked pointing at Harry who had just dodged the quaffle again.</p><p>Anne was rocking back and forth in her seat again as she watched the quaffle try to knock her brother off his broom. Why is it she wondered that she always thinks that Harry won’t come back down in one piece?</p><p>Anne somehow managed not to faint during the match this time but she did work herself up into a frenzy of a panic attack.</p><p>When Harry caught the snitch Anne and Irwin went rushing towards Harry who was clutching his arm in agony. They arrived just in time for Lockhart to cast a spell at Harry’s arm.</p><p>Anne had already been panicking beforehand but when she saw her brother’s arm deboned, she screamed and then promptly fainted.</p><p>When Anne came to, she was lying on a bed in the Hospital Wing. </p><p>“Harry!!” she screamed.</p><p>“Calm down dear,” said Madam Pomfrey gently, “your brother is only in the next bed, you’re both fine!”</p><p>“That bloody fool, deboning a student’s arm like that, he should have been brought straight to me!” Pomfrey ranted as she got out a bottle of Skelegrow.</p><p>Once Pomfrey had given Harry his Skelegrow, she came over to Anne with a large amount of chocolate.</p><p>“I want you to eat that dear,” she said before rushing off to shoo away a storm of Gryffindor’s who had come to visit Harry.</p><p>“Go on,” Irwin prompted as he helped himself to a small piece. Once Anne had had a few pieces of chocolate he pulled out a book on Greek mythology to read to her.</p><p>“Miss Potter, you can go back to your dormitory if you wish but I would prefer to monitor your stress levels tonight, that match must have been very stressful for you to watch,” said Madam Pomfrey after dinner.</p><p>“Can I stay with Harry?” Anne asked quietly.</p><p>“Of course, dear, Mr. Scamander,” she said turning to Irwin, “you’d best go back to your dormitory Irwin, Harry, and Anne both need their rest.”</p><p>“Ok,” said Irwin getting up grudgingly putting away his book, “see you tomorrow Anne!”</p><p>Anne settled back into her covers and fell asleep almost instantly.</p><p>“Ahhh!!!” screamed Harry startling Anne out of her sleep.</p><p>“Wha?” called Anne groggily.</p><p>“Somethings just apparated onto me!” he groaned.</p><p>“Dobby is sorry sir, he did not mean to wake sir and miss” called a squeaky voice from near Harry.</p><p>“Dobby?” asked Anne.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” asked Harry.</p><p>“I is here to tell sir and miss to go home, it is not safe for Harry and Anne Potter here!”</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>“Dobby’s bludger didn’t work!” Dobby moaned</p><p>“Your bludger!” shouted Harry.</p><p>“Shhhh! You’ll wake Pomfrey!” whispered Anne.</p><p>“Sorry,” whispered Harry, “what are you talking about your bludger!” he continued glaring at Dobby.</p><p>“Dobby tampered with the bludger”</p><p>“You nearly killed me!”</p><p>“Dobby did not mean to kill Harry Potter! He only meant to maim or injure Harry Potter enough to have him sent home!”</p><p>“Gee thanks!” muttered Harry sarcastically.</p><p>“Why did you want to send Harry home?” asked Anne gently.</p><p>“Dobby can’t say!”</p><p>“Please Dobby, I can tell it’s important!”</p><p>“There is a plot, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened once more!”</p><p>“Once more?” stammered Harry “it’s been opened before?”</p><p>Dobby nodded.</p><p>“Can you tell us who opened it” asked Anne quietly</p><p>“Dobby can’t speak the name?”</p><p>“Voldemort?” whispered Anne </p><p>Harry looked at Anne in shock hoping that Anne’s suspicions weren’t even slightly true!</p><p>At that moment they heard movement in the corridor and Dobby disapparated with a loud CRACK before he could say anything.</p><p>“Shhh!” called Harry as he settled back into his sheets.</p><p>Anne and Harry both got back into bed and closed their eyes pretending to be asleep but listening to the conversation from the adults.</p><p>“Who is it Albus?” whispered McGonagall </p><p>“Colin Creevey he appears to have been trying to bring a bunch of grapes to Mr. Potter. He has been petrified!” Dumbledore sighed.</p><p>“What does this mean?” asked Madam Pomfrey.</p><p>“It means that the Chamber of Secrets truly has been opened again.”</p><p>Once Colin had been placed in bed Madam Pomfrey came around to check on Anne and Harry, Anne could tell from Harry’s light breathing he was already back asleep.</p><p>Anne squirmed in her bed trying to get comfortable again.</p><p>“Get some sleep dear, you look exhausted,” called Madam Pomfrey softly to Anne. Anne noticed that Pomfrey had tears in her eyes.</p><p>Anne did try and sleep that night, but it was impossible. She was restless at the best of times but tonight she was too busy thinking about what Dobby had said and Colin’s petrification.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Snakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Miss Potter you look you haven’t slept in days!” said Madam Pomfrey as she brought over the breakfast trays. </p><p>Anne was starting to get shadows under her eyes from lack of sleep, even the nights she did sleep she didn’t sleep for very long.</p><p>‘I’m fine” muttered Anne picking at her breakfast.</p><p>“Hmmm yes well” tutted Madam Pomfrey as she moved to Harry’s bed.</p><p>“Morning!” called Harry groggily who had just woken up in the next bed over.</p><p>Once Madam Pomfrey was satisfied that they had eaten enough she allowed Harry and Anne to leave the Hospital Wing.</p><p>They headed up to Myrtle’s bathroom where they found the over three by the cauldron.</p><p>“Hi guys!” called Harry cheerily perching himself on top of one of the bathroom counters.</p><p>“See they let you two out then?” asked Hermione not even looking up from the cauldron.</p><p>“Nobody can hold us for long!” laughed Harry.</p><p>“I’m surprised she let you out Anne, you look worse than you did when we took you in!” said Irwin.</p><p>“I’m fine” Anne muttered again.</p><p>“Hey guys guess what happened last night!” said Harry excitedly as Anne starting chopping potion ingredients. </p><p>“You remember us telling you about that crazy house-elf Dobby?” Hermione Ron and Irwin nodded.</p><p>“Yeah well, he showed up in the Hospital Wing last night! It turns out he cursed that bludger!!”</p><p>“What!” protested Ron.</p><p>“Are you sure?” asked Hermione cautiously.</p><p>“Yeah, he also stopped us getting through the platform in September!”</p><p>“You’re joking?” asked Ron.</p><p>“No, no I’m not!” said Harry so excited he was practically bouncing off the walls. “But that’s not all! He told us the chamber had been opened before!”</p><p>“Really what did he say?” asked Hermione.</p><p>“When was it?” asked Ron.</p><p>“Who was it?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“We don’t know! He left before he could tell us!” Harry explained. “But there’s more!<br/>Colin Creevey was petrified last night; they bought his body into the Hospital Wing!”</p><p>“Wow you two had an exciting night mate!” said Ron.</p><p>“Is all that true?” asked Irwin looking towards Anne.</p><p>Anne nodded not looking up from the ingredients she was preparing.</p><p>“Woah!” exclaimed Ron and Hermione.</p><p>When Anne and Irwin got back to their Common Room that night Irwin pulled Anne aside to talk to her.</p><p>“Anne,” he said gently, “you look like you haven’t slept in weeks! You have been sleeping, haven’t you?”</p><p>“Not much,” she muttered, “I’m still having those nightmares about Quirrell and Voldemort, I don’t like sleeping, besides I don’t want to disturb anyone with my bad dreams,” she explained quietly.</p><p>“Anne, you’ve got to sleep!” Irwin told her firmly.</p><p>Anne shook her head frantically.</p><p>“Come on!” he said pulling her out of the Common Room.</p><p>“Where are we going?” asked Anne panicking.</p><p>“Back to Pomfrey. Now come on!”</p><p>Irwin half pulled half dragged Anne down the seven floors to the Hospital Wing.</p><p>“Madam Pomfrey!” called Irwin loudly, “Madam Pomfrey!!”</p><p>“Calm down Mr. Scamander now what is the problem?”</p><p>“Its Anne, she hasn’t been sleeping properly, I don’t think she’s slept properly since Quirrell” Irwin explained.</p><p>“But that was six months ago!” Pomfrey half screamed. “No wonder you look so tired dear, been having nightmares?”</p><p>Anne nodded.</p><p>“Mr. Scamander, could you take this, please? It’s a vial of dreamless sleep” she said handing her a vial of potion</p><p>“Now then you drink this, you won’t be having any nightmares tonight!” she said looking at Anne. “Would you rather stay here or go back to your dorm?”</p><p>“Dormitory please,” she half-whispered.</p><p>“Off you go then,” said Pomfrey “and Scamander! If this happens again bring her straight back here!”</p><p>Irwin took Anne back to the Common Room and walked up to Padma and Persephone. “Hi girls, could you take Anne up to your room and make sure she drinks this please?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure!” said Padma “Has this got something to do with her lack of sleep?”</p><p>Irwin nodded.</p><p>“Come on then,” said Persephone taking Anne’s hand and taking her up to their dorm.</p><p>Once Anne was in her pajamas Padma handed her the potion. She took it and fell asleep almost instantly.</p><p>“What time is it?” she asked groggily when she next woke up.</p><p>She could see the other four girls all chatting on Lisa’s bed.</p><p>“Ten o’clock” replied Lisa casually.</p><p>“You were asleep for about twenty-eight hours,” Mandy told her.</p><p>“I missed a day of lessons!” she screamed.</p><p>“Missing one day isn’t going to put you behind!” reassured Padma.</p><p>“Now get some more sleep!” said Persephone firmly.</p><p>She had another nightmare about Quirrell that night, this time when they touched him, he hadn’t burned.</p><p>She woke up in cold sweat from her nightmare. If dreamless sleep wasn’t so addictive, she thought she’d drink it every night if she could!</p><p>She managed to get some more sleep that night and walked down to the Common Room at half-past seven.</p><p>“What’s up?” asked Anne as she approached the crowded notice board.</p><p>“You apparently!” said Anthony sarcastically.</p><p>“Yeah we missed you yesterday!” exclaimed Michael.</p><p>“They’re going to start a dueling club!” explained Mandy.</p><p>“It could be fun!” said Lisa bouncing on her toes.</p><p>“I guess it could make a change” muttered Anne.</p><p>“Recte!” said Irwin excitedly, “well I guess that tomorrow night we learn to duel!”</p><p>On Wednesday night the young Ravenclaws went down to the Great Hall at half-past seven. All the tables had been moved so there was space for everyone to practice.</p><p>The Ravenclaws groaned when they saw who their teacher was, Snape wasn’t too bad, but Lockhart!!</p><p>The Ravenclaws had laughed when Snape disarmed Lockhart and then divided into pairs. They had already learned expliarmus from one of their research projects in the library, but they took this as a good chance to practice.</p><p>Anne and Irwin spent a while practicing disarming each other, they were getting quite good at it!!</p><p>Then Snape had decided to have an exhibition duel between Harry and Draco.</p><p>Anne and Irwin pushed themselves towards the front as the students crowded around the platform. They were standing next to some of the second year Hufflepuffs including Hannah Abbot and Justin Finch-Fletchley </p><p>Lockhart and Snape were trying to help Harry and Draco. Snape gave Draco a good spell to use whilst Lockhart tried to show Harry a complicated wand movement before dropping his wand.</p><p>“Serpensortia!” called Draco.</p><p>A snake came flying out of Draco’s wand and the snake started to slither its way towards Harry.</p><p>As Snape stepped forward to vanish the snake however, Harry began to make strange hissing noises.</p><p>Harry seemed to be talking to the snake!!</p><p>The snake was now slithering towards Justin, Harry was still hissing at it.</p><p>What was going on!!</p><p>“Evannesco!” cried Snape and the snake disappeared.</p><p>Anne stared at her brother in shock. But this time Anne wasn’t the only one staring, the whole room was staring at him.</p><p>The students were dismissed early and they all went back to their dorms.</p><p>“You’re a parselmouth Harry!” called Ron as they all caught up with each other.</p><p>“A what?” asked Harry confused.</p><p>“A parselmouth, you can talk to snakes!” explained Hermione.</p><p>“I was talking to that snake!” Harry stammered.</p><p>Irwin nodded firmly.</p><p>“Everyone thinks you were trying to attack Justin,” Irwin explained trying to keep calm.</p><p>“But I was telling him to keep away from Justin!” Harry protested.</p><p>“Parselmouths are really rare and usually dark wizards,” said Hermione.</p><p>“Slytherin was one and so was Voldemort,” muttered Anne.</p><p>“Oh my god! people are going to think I’m the heir of Slytherin aren’t they?” Harry gasped catching on.</p><p>They nodded.</p><p>“How long till that potion is finished?” Harry asked nervously.</p><p>“Ten days,” said Irwin.</p><p>“Well, ten days till we catch the real heir of Slytherin then!”</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Polyjuice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anne, Harry, Irwin, and Ron go to interview Malfoy</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Polyjuice potion couldn’t be brewed fast enough. Nobody expected Anne to be the Heir of Slytherin, they didn’t think she was brave enough. But people did think Harry was because of the incident in the duelling club, it didn’t help that the day after the Duelling Club that Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been found petrified.</p><p>Most of the students were avoiding Anne and Irwin though just because they were friends with Harry. This suited Anne and Irwin just fine though because it gave them more time to brew the Polyjuice potion.</p><p>“Hello Anne, Hello Irwin!” said Luna dreamily as she joined them for dinner.</p><p>“Hi Luna!” said Irwin cheerily as he tucked into his dinner. Irwin was in a good mood that evening because they were going to be attempting to take the Polyjuice that night because it was finally ready.</p><p>“We’re going home for Christmas in two days, are you excited?” asked Anne.</p><p>“Oh yes!” exclaimed Luna, “it will be nice to get away from the nargles for a few weeks, this school is infested with them,” said Luna as she ate her pudding, “I think the mistletoe makes it worse,” she wondered with a curious expression on her face.</p><p>“Does she really believe in all that?” whispered Irwin when Luna had left the table.</p><p>“Oh yes, they even gave me a nargle repellent charm last Christmas!” </p><p>“Fair enough,” said Irwin as he finished his dinner, “come on Anne eat up, we’ve got stuff to do tonight!”</p><p>Anne quickly finished her dinner and they rushed off to Myrtle’s bathroom to finish the potion.</p><p>“Hello!” called Myrtle as she popped out of her favourite toilet.</p><p>“Hi!” called Irwin as Anne got to work on the potion.</p><p>“You won’t be visiting me after, today will you?” Myrtle sulked. She had grown accustomed to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Anne and Irwin visiting on a regular basis over the last month</p><p>“Well no, but you can come to visit us,” offered Irwin as checked the recipe to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything.</p><p>“Well I suppose so, but it won’t be the same….” Moaned Myrtle before returning to her toilet.</p><p>Half an hour later the other three arrived. </p><p>“Where have you three been the potions nearly ready!” complained Irwin as the Gryffindors arrived breathless from running.</p><p>“We had to deal with Crabbe and Goyle!” said Ron.</p><p>“We don’t want them barging in on us in the middle of us interviewing Malfoy!” explained Harry.</p><p>Hermione was organising the large robes into two piles. “I’m staying here,” said Hermione, “Millicent hasn’t gone home yet.”</p><p>“You two are going under the cloak ok?” asked Harry as they got out the hairs for the potion.</p><p>Anne and Irwin nodded as Anne ladled the potion into glasses for Harry and Ron.</p><p>“You’re quiet tonight!” said Ron looking at Anne.</p><p>“Yeah even by your standards!” agreed Harry.</p><p>“I’m just nervous,” she muttered, “I don’t want it to go wrong!”</p><p>“We’ll be fine Anne; you can stay here if you want,” said Irwin.</p><p>“No! I want to go its important” said Anne gathering up some of the last of her courage.</p><p>Harry and Ron added the hairs to their potions after changing into the larger robes.</p><p>“Uggh it looks like troll bogeys!” complained Ron.</p><p>“Let’s hope it doesn’t taste like it,” said Harry before drinking the potion with his fingers holding his nose.</p><p>It was really creepy, Anne was watching Ron and her brother transform into two ugly thuggish Slytherins who were at least twice their size.</p><p>“You two had best get under the cloak,” reminded Hermione, “the potion only lasts an hour!”</p><p>Irwin and Anne got under the cloak, and they followed what looked like Crabbe and Goyle out of the bathroom.</p><p>Harry checked his map, “It looks like the Slytherin Common Room is in the dungeons” said Harry before pocketing his map.</p><p>Harry led the way down to the dungeons, they were only disturbed once, they had nearly made it down to the Common Room when they ran into Percy.</p><p>“What are you doing down here!” stammered Ron.</p><p>“I could ask the same of you!” said Percy in an accusatory tone, “curfew was half an hour ago!”</p><p>‘We lost track of the time,” explained Harry.</p><p>“Well I’ll let you off this once,” said Percy reluctantly getting out of their way.</p><p>“He was probably trying to catch the heir himself” whispered Irwin laughing very softly.</p><p>“Password password,” wondered Harry, as they reached the Common Room door where there was a brass snake.</p><p>“Try Parseltongue!” suggested Anne.</p><p>“Open!” said Harry.</p><p>Ron shook his head, “English mate!”</p><p>Harry made a strange hissing noise and remarkably the door opened. Harry and Ron who looked like Crabbe and Goyle went in through the door and Anne and Irwin had snuck in after them.</p><p>“Where have you two been!” shouted Malfoy from a chair by the fire, “it's half-past nine!”</p><p>“We got lost!” grunted Ron.</p><p>“Oh of course!” drawled Malfoy, “you two haven’t lived here for two bloody years!”</p><p>Harry and Ron sat down into chairs next to Malfoy, Malfoy seemed to forget about them getting lost after this though, maybe Crabbe and Goyle got lost regularly?</p><p>Most of the other Slytherins had already gone up to bed or were packing their trunks for the holiday.</p><p>Anne and Irwin stood behind Harry so as not to gets in anyone’s way.</p><p>“I wish that bloody Heir would get on and kill some people, this school is full of bloody mudbloods!”</p><p>“So it's not you then?” asked Ron.</p><p>“I’ve told you ten times Crabbe!” said Malfoy exasperated, “it's not me!”</p><p>Harry and Ron looked at each other disappointed, they had just wasted a whole month!</p><p>“I wish I knew who it was!” said Malfoy excitedly “I could help them. Hey! Maybe I could persuade them to get rid of that Potter freak!” cackled Malfoy.</p><p>“The question is which one first, Harry who for some bizarre reason people think is the heir of Slytherin or that freak sister of his!”</p><p>Anne had to try not to scream, somebody was gripping onto her shoulder. She turned around and saw that Irwin had a look of fury on his face and was holding onto her trying to protect her.</p><p>“So you’ve got no clue who it is?” asked Harry somewhat urgently, they were starting to run out of time.</p><p>“No,” he groaned, “the thing is I know that Father knows who it is, he just won’t tell me!”</p><p>“Oh!” said Harry and Ron interested.</p><p>“All he’s told me is it was last opened fifty years ago, I just wish I knew who it bloody was!”</p><p>Ron’s hair was starting to turn red again, Anne nudged him lightly to remind him they were running out of time.</p><p>“Let's go get some food!” said Ron getting up followed by Harry.</p><p>“Don’t you two ever stop eating?” asked Malfoy but just left them to it.</p><p>Harry and Ron left the dungeon just in time for them to transform back into themselves. They all rushed to the broom cupboard where the real Crabbe and Goyle were starting to come to and gave them back their shoes.</p><p>They then sprinted up to Myrtle’s bathroom where they found Hermione and Irwin and Anne finally pulled off the invisibility cloak.</p><p>“How’d it go?” asked Hermione.</p><p>“Terribly!” groaned Ron.</p><p>“It wasn’t that bad,” said Irwin leaning against a bathroom counter to get his breath back. </p><p>“It wasn’t Malfoy!” said Harry.</p><p>“No,” explained Irwin calmly, “but we do know when the chamber was last opened fifty years ago.”</p><p>“Well that’s something I suppose!” admitted Ron.</p><p>“Maybe we can ask Dad if he knows anything?” suggested Irwin.</p><p>“Well at least everyone’s alright,” said Hermione, “nobody got caught and we know its not Malfoy.”</p><p>Anne began packing up her cauldron and ingredients.</p><p>“Anne you alright?” asked Harry.</p><p>“Hmm,” she muttered.</p><p>“Hey, cheer up sis, at least we know Malfoys, not the heir now!”</p><p>“Yeah even if he does hate you, he can’t petrify you!” laughed Ron.</p><p>This caused Anne to burst into tears however instead of feeling better.</p><p>“There was no point! All that work for nothing!” sobbed Anne curling up on the floor.</p><p>“Well we know it was fifty years ago that’s a start!” said Hermione.</p><p>“Cheer up sis!” said Harry putting an arm round Anne, “you’ll be going home for Christmas soon!”</p><p>“No im not!” sobbed Anne.</p><p>‘Oh yeah….” Muttered Harry remembering they weren’t going home that year.</p><p>“Look Anne you’re coming to my house for two weeks, nothing’s going to petrify you there!” said Irwin crouching down on the floor next to her and passing her a handkerchief.</p><p>‘Ok,” she muttered dabbing at her tears as Irwin pulled her into a hug.</p><p>“We can do some more research after Christmas, yeah?” offered Irwin.</p><p>“Alright!” said Anne cheering up slightly at the idea of such an interesting research project.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Mary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Christmas at the Scamanders.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You two ready?” asked Rolf as he meet them in the entranceway with their trunks.</p><p>Anne and Irwin nodded grabbing their trunks.</p><p>They were going to catch the train to go home for a fortnight for Christmas at the Scamander’s.</p><p>“I wonder how big Averett and Aislynn have got?” wondered. Rolf as they got off the train at Kings Cross.</p><p>Mr. and Mrs. Scamander were waiting for them on the platform when they got off, Mr. Scamander reached to take Anne’s trunk from her.</p><p>“Hi kids!” he said joyfully pulling his sons into a hug, “how was your first term?”</p><p>“Alright,” muttered Irwin as he hugged his mum.</p><p>“Yeah it was fine!” said Rolf sarcastically “apart from the massive monster petrifying people around the school and the fact that NEWTS are a ruddy nightmare!”</p><p>“You’ll make it son; it just takes a bit of hard work!” said Mr. Scamander as they pulled their trunks towards the car park.</p><p>“I’m only taking three! And two of those are Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures!!” Rolf complained.</p><p>“Just try your hardest Rolf and we will always be proud of you!” said Mrs. Scamander as they pulled their trunks into the boot.</p><p>“And as for that monster, why don’t we ask your Grandpa when we get home? If anyone will know anything about it it’s your Grandpa!” laughed Mr. Scamander.</p><p>Anne noticed on the journey home that Mr. Scamander seemed a lot calmer now than he had on the first of September he was laughing and joking with his family. Maybe it was just that he wasn’t worried about getting his sons to school on time?</p><p>They drove for several hours, Anne sitting in the back between Rolf and Irwin, the family chatting away catching up about the last few months.</p><p>When they got to Scamander Hollow it had got dark as it was six o’clock. They dragged the three school trunks into the kitchen where Averett and Aislynn were playing with the dough in the kitchen with their grandmother.</p><p>“Hey there! How’s my favorite tiny terrors?” asked Rolf putting down his trunk.</p><p>“Rolf!!!” they screamed jumping down from the table still wearing their little aprons. Rolf crouched down to give his little brother and sister a big hug.</p><p>Irwin soon joined them and before long the six of them were having a huge family hug in the middle of the kitchen.</p><p>“There you are I was wondering when you’d be getting back!”</p><p>Anne looked over to the kitchen door where a man with slightly greying hair was poking his head around the door.</p><p>“Uncle Remus!!!” she screamed running over to him where he picked her up and gave her a huge hug.</p><p>“Hi sweetheart!” said Remus kissing her on top of the head, “I knew you missed me, but I didn’t know it was this much!” he laughed as he put Anne back on the floor.</p><p>“Remus has been helping me and Newt look after Averett and Aislynn today, he wanted to wait to see you.” Said Tina who had gone back to preparing bread for the oven.</p><p>“You don’t look so good sweetheart,” said Remus taking a proper look at her, “still having those ruddy nightmares?”</p><p>Anne nodded.</p><p>“Quirrell?”</p><p>She nodded again.</p><p>“Well, I know they are scary, but you’ve got to remember Quirrell is dead, he can’t hurt you and Harry anymore alright? They’re only dreams sweetheart,” he said stroking her hair as they sat on a sofa in the sitting room.</p><p>“What about Voldemort?” she whispered leaning into her favorite uncle.</p><p>“You don’t need to worry about him for now ok?”</p><p>“Ok,” she whispered.</p><p>“Now come on no more tears. Give me a smile,” he laughed.</p><p>Anne gave him a fairly watery smile.</p><p>“There’s my favorite girl!” he exclaimed giving her one last hug. “Now come on, let’s go have something to eat I’m absolutely starving!” he said as he pulled himself back up off the sofa.</p><p>Anne and Remus went back through to the kitchen to find the eight Scamander’s chatting cheerfully at the dinner table waiting for Anne and Remus. There was a huge pot of beef casserole in the middle of the table and boiled potatoes and green beans.</p><p>“So,” asked Newt sitting down next to Anne and Irwin, “what have you two been up to?”</p><p>Irwin and Anne told the family about the reappearance of Dobby.</p><p>“The house-elf came back?” asked Remus curiously.</p><p>“Hmm,” said Anne helping herself to more potatoes, “apparently he blocked the platform and jinxed that bludger.”</p><p>“Strange…” he muttered.</p><p>They then explained about the Polyjuice Potion and interviewing Malfoy.</p><p>Rolf's eyebrows were raised, he was clearly impressed.</p><p>“You two and Hermione managed to brew this?” asked Mr. Scamander.</p><p>“Yes, Dad.”</p><p>“It is a very difficult potion, but I wouldn’t put anything past these two,” added Newt, “I’m glad it went well!”</p><p>“I’m glad none of you got caught!” exclaimed Mrs. Scamander.</p><p>“You could have been expelled!” agreed Remus.</p><p>“But they are fine, and they didn’t get expelled,” explained Mr. Scamander calmly.</p><p>“If you two are that good, maybe you can help me with my potions homework sometimes!” laughed Rolf “you two are better at potions than I am!”</p><p>During pudding, they asked Newt about the monster. </p><p>“I don’t know what it could be Irwin,” said Newt, “but whatever it has to be a dark creature if it can petrify people like that, I’ll have to look into that.”</p><p>After they finished dinner then Remus went home to Elm Grove via the flu.</p><p>“I’ll see you again before you go back to school alright?” he said pulling Anne into a tight hug.</p><p>“Ok.”</p><p>‘Bye-bye sweetheart” said Remus doing up his cloak and stepping into the fireplace.</p><p>“Come on Anne! let's go unpack,” said Irwin tugging his trunk from the kitchen.</p><p>Mr. Scamander brought Anne’s trunk up to the same room she had stayed in that summer.</p><p>Anne was sitting on the floor unpacking her clothes and folding them in the chest of drawers.</p><p>“Hello!” called a little girl with jet black hair from the doorway.</p><p>“Hi Aislynn,” said Anne “where’s Averett?”</p><p>“Rolf,” she said simply jumping onto Anne’s bed.</p><p>Aislynn was lying down on Anne’s bed watching her unpack with interest.</p><p>“Anne?” asked Aislynn sitting up when Anne joined her on the bed.</p><p>“Hmm?” asked Anne opening up a book.</p><p>“Could you do my hair, please? Like yours?” she asked tugging at one of Anne's dark red plaits.</p><p>“Ok,” said Anne going to fetch her hairbrush, “do you want ribbons?”</p><p>“Yes please!” said Aislynn bouncing up and down on the bed.</p><p>Anne picked up some hair ties and spare ribbons.</p><p>“Sit still then,” Anne laughed as she re-joined Aislynn on the bed.</p><p>Aislynn sat down quietly on the bed and Anne began to brush through her long hair humming as she calmly brushed through the little girl's hair.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“I’m humming,” said Anne “I’ve always liked music, I’m sorry I didn’t realize I was doing it.”</p><p>“Don’t stop!” said Aislynn “I like it.”</p><p>So Anne gently brushed Aislynn’s hair into two long dark plaits and tied them off with pink ribbons.</p><p>“You can move now,” said Anne as she finished.</p><p>“Thank you!” said Aislynn giving Anne a huge hug before leaping off the bed.</p><p>“Will you read to me?” she asked.</p><p>“Do you like books?”</p><p>“Yes, but Averett doesn’t”</p><p>“I used to have the same problem with Harry!” Anne laughed. “What would you like me to read to you?”</p><p>Aislynn shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve heard the Tales of Beadle the Bard so many times I know them off by heart, I want something different”</p><p>Anne smiled Aislynn wasn’t yet five, but she had only been four when she had first read those books. Anne went over to her trunk and got out one of her favorite books.</p><p>“I’m going to tell you a story about a little girl,” said Anne pulling Aislynn onto her lap, “a story of a girl who looks like me,” Anne explained opening up her copy of Anne of Green Gables.</p><p>“Chapter One- Mrs. Rachael Lynde is Surprised,” Anne began as Aislynn settled herself into Anne’s lap.</p><p>They had just got to the part where Mathew came to collect Anne from the train station when Mr. Scamander came in.</p><p>“There you are my little princess” he exclaimed from the doorway, “what have you been up to?”</p><p>“Anne’s been reading to me!”</p><p>“Well I know we said you could stay up late because your brothers were coming home but its bedtime, its nearly nine o clock!”</p><p>“I’ve had my bath! And I’m in my pajamas!” Aislynn protested.</p><p>“You brushed your teeth?”</p><p>Aislynn nodded. “I want to finish my chapter!” she moaned.</p><p>“Oh alright!” he gave in.</p><p>Mr. Scamander settled in to listen to the end of the chapter and then picked Aislynn up to go to bed.</p><p>“I want to hear more!!” cried Aislynn.</p><p>“Anne’s going to be here for two weeks and I’m sure if you behave yourself, she’ll read you some more. Now bed!” he said firmly.</p><p>“I’ll do it,” said Anne taking her from Mr. Scamander and taking her hand to walk her through to Aislynn’s room.</p><p>Averett was still bouncing around like mad in his room where Mrs. Scamander was trying to get him to calm down. Anne tucked Aislynn into her bed and read her a few more pages. Aislynn fell asleep within five minutes.</p><p>“You are a miracle-worker!” said Mr. Scamander who had been watching from the doorway, “even Remus can’t get her off that quickly!”</p><p>Anne shrugged.</p><p>“You really are a natural with her, she thinks you’re wonderful, she hasn’t stopped going on about you since you left last summer! I think she sees you as a big sister.”</p><p>“It’s nothing” Anne blushed as she went back to her room.</p><p>“There you are Anne!” cried Irwin when Anne reached her room “sorry Averett commandeered both me and Rolf’s attention.”</p><p>“That’s ok” she muttered getting out her hairbrush to redo her plaits, “I spent the evening with Aislynn.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry! Dad said she hasn’t stopped going on about you, I hope she wasn’t a nightmare!”</p><p>“No, she was fine, I did her hair and then I read to her,” said Anne as she tied off her plaits.</p><p>“Night Anne!” he said getting up to go through to his own room.</p><p>“Night,” she muttered. Anne was already half asleep.</p><p>On Christmas Eve the weather was cold but bright, Anne had already been at the Scamander’s three days and they had just reached the point where Anne hits Gilbert over the head with a blackboard.</p><p>“Serves him right!” laughed Newt who had been listening in to the story that Anne had been reading in the sitting room.</p><p>“I’ve placed a few orders at the muggle shops in the village for tomorrow, do any of you want to go get them for us?” asked Mrs. Scamander after a while.</p><p>“Yeah sure!” said Irwin pulling himself up from the carpet where he had been playing with Averett. “You want to come to Anne?”</p><p>Anne nodded.</p><p>“Can I come too Anne please?” begged Aislynn as Anne put the book away.</p><p>“Not today dear there will be too many bags,” said Mrs. Scamander picking up her daughter, “but you can help me and Granny and Anne with the baking when she gets back” she offered.</p><p>The idea of baking cheered Aislynn up and she went off to play with Newt and Averett.</p><p>“You two need to wear muggle dress,” said Mrs. Scamander looking at Anne and Irwin who were wearing jeans and jumpers. “That means no cloaks I’m afraid and it's cold out there today”</p><p>Irwin ran upstairs to fetch his winter coat.</p><p>“There might be something of Mary’s that fits her” Tina wondered and came back a few minutes later with a light blue winter coat.</p><p>The coat was a bit big on Anne but not so big that it was noticeable.</p><p>“Mary was always small like Anne, it fits well enough,” muttered Tina as Irwin came back downstairs in a dark green winter coat.</p><p>“Thank you,” said Anne quietly as Mrs. Scamander went to fetch some carrier bags.</p><p>“Here you go, I need you to go collect the orders from the butchers for the turkey and the village shop for everything else. They should have put the orders aside for you, I need all these things for dinner tomorrow.”</p><p>“Ok mum, we’ll be back in time for lunch,” called Irwin on the way out the door.</p><p>“It's only about twenty minutes to the village,” said Irwin as they started down a country path.</p><p>They went to the butchers for the turkey and chipolatas and then the village shop for everything else including a Christmas pudding, mincemeat for the mince pies and brussel sprouts.</p><p>Anne and Irwin started back down the path to the house and walked along the road for a few moments laden down with carrier bags.</p><p>“Irwin?” asked Anne after a while.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Who was Mary?”</p><p>“I’m sorry?” asked Irwin confused.</p><p>“Mary, your Granny mentioned her before she lent me this coat”</p><p>Irwin took a closer look at Anne’s coat, “oh right,” said Irwin.</p><p>“Well, who was she?” Anne asked curiously.</p><p>“She was my Mum,” said Irwin.</p><p>Anne was so shocked she nearly dropped her bags of shopping. “I thought Gwendoline was your Mum!”</p><p>“Dad remarried after Mum died,” Irwin admitted.</p><p>Irwin and Anne continued along the path for a while longer not talking, Irwin must find it difficult to talk about his Mum Anne thought.</p><p>After a few minutes Irwin began talking again, it seemed as if he wanted to get it off his chest.</p><p>“My Mum died not long after I turned one,” he sighed, “she was killed by a witch called Bellatrix Lestrange whilst trying to fight Voldemort.”</p><p>“Bellatrix Lestrange? I think that’s Sirius cousin, isn’t she in Azkaban?”</p><p>Irwin nodded, “Along with her husband and brother in law, they tortured Neville’s parents until they went insane, his parents are now in St. Mungo’s.”</p><p>Anne looked at Irwin in shock, she had always wondered why Neville had been brought up by his Grandparents.</p><p>“Dad remarried when I was about five and Rolf was nine. Gwendoline had always treated me and Rolf like her own children and loves us just as much Averett and Aislynn,” Irwin finished as they came to the end of the path and towards the gate to the house.</p><p>“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,” he muttered before they went into the house, “Dad doesn’t like to talk about it much so I usually don’t really think about it.”</p><p>“There you are!” exclaimed Gwendoline taking the bags from Anne and Irwin, “If you two go get cleaned up lunch will be in about five minutes!”</p><p>That afternoon Anne, Tina, Gwendoline, and Aislynn made mince pies for the next day. Aislynn loved making little pastry stars to go on top of the pies.</p><p>After dinner, the twins were hurried off to bed by Gwendoline for a quick bath and an early bed before Christmas the next day.</p><p>“Dad,” started Irwin nervously when everyone was gathered around the fire at eight o’clock that night.</p><p>Landon looked up from the Transfiguration book he was reading, “Hmm?”</p><p>“Umm, what was Mum like?” asked Irwin.</p><p>Rolf looked up from the potions book he was going through with Tina and Gwendoline began to shift uncomfortably in her seat muttering something about needing to check the presents for tomorrow.</p><p>“I’m sorry?”</p><p>“What was Mum like?” Irwin asked more clearly.</p><p>Landon looked around the room and saw that Irwin and Rolf were looking at him intently. Gwendoline got up from the sofa to go and check the food for the next day.</p><p>“Stay where you are Gwen,” he said gently, Gwendoline sat back down of the sofa, “come here son,” he said gesturing towards a spare seat on the sofa, Irwin went to sit next to his father, Rolf was already leaning on the floor against the sofa next to his dad.</p><p>“Firstly” Landon struggled, “I’m sorry I don’t talk about her much, it’s just it’s difficult for me.”</p><p>“We get that Dad,” said Rolf.</p><p>“It’s because I blame myself,” Landon admitted.</p><p>Rolf and Irwin stared at their father in shock.</p><p>“I was never brave like Mary; she was a Gryffindor I was only a Ravenclaw. Yes, I was always intelligent” he sighed, “but intelligence doesn’t always matter, especially not when you’re in the middle of a war…”</p><p>Landon stopped for a moment he was clearly struggling. Rolf got up onto the sofa next to his dad and Landon put his arms around his two sons.</p><p>“Mary joined the Order of the Phoenix” he continued. “She had two young sons and she loved you both to pieces, but she wanted you both to grow up in a world without Voldemort, that’s why she wanted to fight him. I used to stay at home with you two and look after you both when she was on missions”</p><p>“Not long after you turned one,” he added turning to Irwin, “in about May 1981 your mum went on a mission, she had been on a lot of missions so I didn’t worry about it, she kissed you both before she went out and told me she’d be back before breakfast. She never came back.”</p><p>Landon was in tears now and he was hugging his two sons tightly. Anne was sitting on the floor listening intently with Gwendoline sitting next to her with her arms around Anne’s shoulder.</p><p>“I blame myself because I sometimes wonder if maybe if I had been brave enough, I could have gone with her, I could have saved her” Landon sobbed.</p><p>“Or you could have both died,” said Tina.</p><p>Landon looked up at his mother, “you can’t blame yourself for Mary’s death, I’ve been trying to tell you this for nearly eleven years!”</p><p>“Think about this way son,” said Newt, “you might have both died, and then Rolf and Irwin would have had no parents to look after them.”</p><p>“I’m sorry boys, I should talk about her more she is your Mum.”</p><p>“Can you tell us a bit more about her?” asked Rolf.</p><p>“Your mother was a Gryffindor muggle-born. She had red hair like both of yours and she loved to laugh. The only thing she loved more than laughing was making overs laugh!” he chuckled. </p><p>“You two are so like her, you are brave and kind. When you laugh you laugh in the same way as your mother and you help anyone you can,” he said turning towards Rolf, “and you Irwin, when you smile your eyes light up in the same way as your mothers. Both most importantly there is nothing more important in this world to wither of you than your friends or family, you would do anything to protect them, never forget that boys, protect the ones you love,” he said reaching out for Gwendoline’s hand, “they may not be with you for long.”</p><p>There was not a dry eye in the room, everyone was crying, Landon had his arms around his two sons whilst his wife and Anne sat on the arms of the sofa.</p><p>“Come on you lot!” said Newt after a while, “it’s getting late, time for bed, it’s Christmas tomorrow!”</p><p>“Oh right of course!” said Landon only just remembering it was Christmas the next day. “Go on kids off you go, we can talk more about your mum another time yeah?”</p><p>“Ok Dad thanks,” said Rolf collecting his textbook. “Night,” he said giving his father a hug and heading up to bed.</p><p>Irwin gave his dad a hug and got up from the sofa, “Thanks Mum” he said giving Gwendoline a hug.</p><p>“That’s alright dear,” she cried into Irwin, “now get on the pair of you,” she said to Anne and Irwin, “those twins will be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow!”</p><p>Anne and Irwin traipsed upstairs to their rooms. They stopped when they reached Anne’s room.</p><p>“Thanks, Anne.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“For helping tonight, if you hadn’t brought her up earlier I might never have asked Dad about her” he muttered.</p><p> “That’s ok,” said Anne pulling at her plaits getting nervous again.</p><p>“See you tomorrow then,” said Irwin heading off to his own room.</p><p>Anne was woken up fairly early the next morning by Averett and Aislynn but seeing as she was used to this treatment from Harry she didn’t mind.</p><p>“It’s Christmas!!” Averett screamed.</p><p>“I know that,” she said rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, “have you two been good?”</p><p>They shook their heads vigorously.</p><p>“Do you think Father Christmas will have come?”</p><p>They nodded their heads again.</p><p>“Do we have to wait for Mummy and Daddy to wake up?”</p><p>“They’re already awake!” said Averett proudly.</p><p>“We woke them up!” laughed Aislynn.</p><p>“Well then!” said Anne pulling on her dressing gown, “let’s go see what’s downstairs then!”</p><p>“Why are we up at this ungodly hour?” groaned Rolf as he plonked himself down on one of the sofas.</p><p>“Because its Christmas!” screamed the twins.</p><p>‘It’ll be Christmas for another nineteen hours, it's only five o’clock!”</p><p>“Calm down Rolf, you were just as excitable at their age and you woke up Irwin who was only a baby!” laughed Tina.</p><p>“Sorry Gran,” he grumbled as his Grandmother sat down next to him.</p><p>“Saluete!!” greeted Landon as he came down the stairs with Gwendoline, “Recte, presents!” he said as he, Newt and Irwin started to organize the gifts.</p><p>Oh! Realized Anne, that’s why Irwin keeps on using conversational Latin! He gets it from his Dad!!</p><p>They opened gifts from the people who weren’t there first.  Anne had got a stack of chocolate as high as a mountain from Anthony, Terry, and Michael. </p><p>“Wow!” muttered Rolf, “even I couldn’t eat that much!”</p><p>She had gotten books from Padma, Persephone, and Mandy and a large number of muggle sweets from Lisa who was a muggle-born. I hope Lisa doesn’t get petrified next she panicked, they had to stop that monster!</p><p>There was a large stack of ruled notebooks and something called ‘ballpoint pens’ from Hermione. </p><p>‘I know you hate writing with quills, these are much easier, you might not be able to use them for homework, but they will be much easier for notetaking”</p><p>Hmmm, I’ll have to give these a go thought Anne.</p><p>Her Grandpa had sent her some videotapes with an adaptation of Anne of Green Gables on them. She could watch them when she went home, Sirius and Remus had gotten a video player recently. There was no jumper that year as her Granny had passed away last June.</p><p>She had received a jumper from Mrs. Weasley though, it was bright green with a pink A on it. Anne pulled it on immediately. The Weasleys had also sent a tin of homemade mince pies, Great Expectations from Mr. Weasley, and a book from Ron.</p><p>Harry had sent her a book on Parseltongue so that she could find out more about it.</p><p>Luna had sent Anne a painting of Anne’s cat Athene.</p><p>There were still several large boxes in the middle of the room for Anne that wasn’t from the Scamander’s.</p><p>Landon lifted the biggest present in the whole room and handed it to her.</p><p>“Are you sure this is for me?” she asked uncertainly whilst everyone else opened their presents from friends.</p><p>“It got your name on it dear!” he laughed, “Careful its heavy,” he said as he placed it on her lap.</p><p>What could be in here she wondered.</p><p>Dear Anne, so that you can share your parents' love of music, love always Sirius and Remus.</p><p>What in the world?</p><p>“Aren’t you going to open it?” asked Aislynn excitedly.</p><p>Anne noticed that the whole room was staring at her grinning madly at the box.</p><p>Anne started to fumble with the string that did up the box.</p><p>“I’ll help” chuckled Irwin as he undid the string.</p><p>Anne undid the paper and lifted the lid of a large white leather case.</p><p>It was a magical record player, Uncle Remus had one, she had always loved listening to it when she was little, but it was nowhere near as nice as this one!</p><p>“Wow!” she whispered.</p><p>Anne noticed that Aislynn was grinning like a mad man.</p><p>“I told mummy and daddy that you liked music, and they knew that Remus was wondering what to get you for Christmas!” she said bouncing up and down on Tina’s lap.</p><p>“Do you like it?” asked Tina.</p><p>“I love it!” she exclaimed.</p><p>“There’s more,” said Newt passing her another two large boxes.</p><p>In one was a collection of old records that had apparently belonged to her muggle grandparents, there was also the records that had used to belong to Lily and James. The box contained everything from Vera Lynn to Abba which apparently her mother had used to enjoy.</p><p>The other box contained new records including some by Queen and the Beatles which Sirius had always been a fan of.</p><p>“Wow,” she whispered again. “Thanks, Aislynn!” she pulled Aislynn off of Tina’s lap and gave her a huge hug.</p><p>“Recte,” said Irwin, “there's still loads of presents to go through,” he pointed out.</p><p>“Thank you for my pretty ribbons Anne,” said Aislynn. Anne had done Aislynn’s hair in plaits several times now</p><p>“You’re welcome, they’re like mine, they never get lost and they change color to match what you’re wearing,” Anne explained fastening Aislynn’s plaits which turned pink to match her pajamas.</p><p>“Wow!” Aislynn exclaimed as her ribbons changed color.</p><p>There was another tin of strawberry and white chocolate welsh cakes from Gwendoline. <br/>“I know you liked the last time” she trilled in her lilting Welsh accent.</p><p>“Thank you, Mrs. Scamander!”</p><p>There was a large number of books as to be expected, Irwin had got her a book on different snakes both magical and non-magical. “You can research different snakes Harry might talk to!” he explained.</p><p>“I love it” she hugged her best friend who blushed almost as red as his hair.</p><p>There was a set of books on the goddess Artemis from Landon and Gwendoline as they knew she was interested in her.</p><p>Newt and Tina had got her two books Virgil’s Aeneid and Lucan’s Bellum Civile.</p><p>“I know you enjoyed Homer” explained Newt, “Virgil is the great Roman epic author, and the Bellum Civile is fascinating it’s a bit like an anti-hero epic.”</p><p>“Thank you so much, I can’t wait to start reading them!” </p><p>Rolf had given a short book on meditation.</p><p>“It might help you keep calm” he laughed.</p><p>“Thanks!”</p><p>After Christmas lunch, they all went out for a walk and fetched their coats. They had to wear coats instead of cloaks in case they ran into any muggles. Landon passed her the light blue coat that Mary used to wear as a teenager.</p><p>“You can keep it,” he said passing her the coat, “she would want it to be used rather than hanging around in the closet.”</p><p>“Thank you so much!” she exclaimed.</p><p>Landon merely shrugged as he helped Averett do up his coat.</p><p>On New Year's Eve the family was gathered in the sitting room as Anne continued to read to them all from her book. The entire family had become invested in the story of Anne Shirley.</p><p>Suddenly Remus’ head appeared in the fire. “Anne!” he called from the fire, “Can I come through?”</p><p>“Of course, Remus!” answered Landon.</p><p>Remus came spinning through the fire followed not long after by Sirius.</p><p>“Hi, darling!” Remus said giving Anne a hug.</p><p>“I’m afraid we’ve got some bad news kid” said Sirius still standing by the fire.</p><p>“It’s Athene,” said Remus gently sitting next to Anne on the sofa, “I’m afraid she’s died.”</p><p>“What?” she screamed; she loved her cat!</p><p>“She got run over by the car dear,” Remus said gently putting his arm around her.</p><p>“What he isn’t telling you,” said Sirius who had been staring at his shoes, “is that I ran her over!”</p><p>“It’s not your fault Sirius,” said Remus trying to reassure his friend whilst comforting Anne.</p><p>“Its ok,” she sobbed, “Athene always did like sleeping under that car,” she muttered.</p><p>“She’s in a better place now,” said Gwendoline sitting down next to Anne on the sofa.</p><p>Anne nodded, she knew this was true, but she still missed her cat, she had had her since she was four years old.</p><p>Aislynn had just come running back in from upstairs holding a piece of paper.</p><p>“Anne,” she said handing her the piece of paper, “it’s Athene!”</p><p>Aislynn had brought down the painting Luna had drawn her of Athene.</p><p>“Thank you Aislynn!” she sobbed.</p><p>“We buried her under her favorite tree,” said Sirius.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>As always good times have to come to an end and before she knew it was time to go back to Hogwarts and they were piling the three trunks into the back of the car.</p><p>“I’ll see you next Summer I promise,” Anne reassured a sobbing Aislynn. “Hey! We can read the next Anne book,” this idea seemed to cheer up Aislynn.</p><p>“See you next Summer!” called Anne as she got in the car after hugging everyone twice. She always hated having to leave the Scamander’s they were like a second family to her, and she was leaving to go somewhere where there was a huge monster petrifying people!</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Dear Diary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anne and Irwin discover Tom's diary</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Anne returned to Hogwarts, the end of year of exams seemed a lot closer to this side of Christmas. The other Ravenclaws clearly agreed with her. Even if there was a monster petrifying students exams were still important.</p><p>In the first week of term the second year, Ravenclaws started drawing up their revision time tables again. The exams, after all, were only five months away!</p><p>Anne came into the Common Room about a week after the start of term to find Luna crying in a corner of the Common Room.</p><p>“Are you alright Luna?” asked Anne sitting down next to her.</p><p>There was no answer.</p><p>“Are the other first years being mean to you again?”</p><p>Luna shook her head.</p><p>“Look, Luna, I can't help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong!”</p><p>“It’s Ginny” Luna sobbed, “she’s been acting funny for months. I don’t think she likes me anymore!”</p><p>“I’m sure that’s not it Luna!” reassured Anne, “do you want me to try to talk to her?”</p><p>Luna nodded.</p><p>“You alright now?” she asked.</p><p>“I think so, I’m going to try and find Ginny,” said Luna getting up from her chair and leaving the Common Room.</p><p>“Well that’s weird…” muttered Anne getting out her Charms homework.</p><p>“What was weird?” asked Irwin distractedly as he got out his parchment and quill from his bag.</p><p>“Luna.”</p><p>“Luna’s always been a bit weird!”</p><p>Anne glared at him.</p><p>“It’s true! Luna is a bit weird”</p><p>“It's not her normal kind of weird,” explained Anne, “not nargles and crumple horned snorcacks, she’s worried about Ginny.”</p><p>“Anne its probably nothing to worry about!” said Irwin getting out is charms textbook.</p><p>“Yeah you’re right,” she admitted, and they got on with their homework.</p><p>In mid-February Anne and Irwin were going past Myrtle’s bathroom when they noticed that it was flooding.</p><p>“What the…” started Irwin standing outside the door before opening it. The bathroom was flooding because Myrtle had flooded all the toilets.</p><p>“Myrtle,” Anne called gently, “Myrtle?”</p><p>“Who’s there?” sobbed Myrtle.</p><p>“Its Anne and Irwin” called Anne stepping into the bathroom.</p><p>“Is there something wrong Myrtle?”</p><p>“Oh I thought it was someone else,” said Myrtle in relief, “there was someone in here earlier trying to throw a book at me, they tried to flush it down the toilet.”</p><p>“Why would someone want to flush a book down the toilet?” muttered Irwin.</p><p>“I don’t know,” said Myrtle, “they left it over there.”</p><p>Myrtle pointed towards an old leather book that was lying in the middle of the soaking floor.</p><p>Anne went over to the book and picked it up. It apparently belonged to a T. M. Riddle in 1942. Even though the floor was soaking wet, the diary seemed to be completely dry.</p><p>“Irwin,” Anne stammered, “this book is fifty years old.”</p><p>“So?” asked Irwin kneeling down on the floor next to her.</p><p>“The chamber was first opened fifty years ago,” she whispered, “maybe it’s got some information about it!”</p><p>“The diary’s empty Anne” Irwin pointed out getting off the floor.</p><p>“Yeah I know that, but the diary the Lovegood’s gave me would appear empty to most people apart from the writer, it might still have some information in it”</p><p>“You’ve got a fair point there,” said Irwin.</p><p>“Myrtle, can we borrow this?” asked Anne to the ghost.</p><p>“Sure, as long as you don’t throw it at me!” </p><p>“I think we should investigate,” said Irwin, “but I think we should do it together.”</p><p>“Ok,” said Anne uncertainly.</p><p>“Come on,” he said pulling Anne up the staircase to the dormitories, “we’ll do it in my room, there’ll be more privacy than in the Common Room.”</p><p>They shut the curtains on Irwin’s bed and sat down on the bed together. Irwin opened the diary and began to write.</p><p>He let a drop of ink go onto the book which disappeared instantly. </p><p>“Hello, my name is Irwin Scamander.” He began.</p><p>“Hello Irwin, my name is Tom Riddle.” Appeared on the page, Anne and Irwin stared at each other in shock.</p><p>“I am writing with my friend Anne.”</p><p>“Hello, Anne.”</p><p>“Tom,” Irwin struggled to find the right words, “do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?”</p><p>“Why do you ask?”</p><p>“Someone’s being petrifying students again”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>“So can you tell me anything?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Irwin sighed in exasperation and was about to close the book.</p><p>“But I can show you!”</p><p>Anne and Irwin looked at each other nervously. Anne looked terrified but she nodded her head in agreement.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Irwin asked.</p><p>Anne nodded again.</p><p>“Ok,” wrote Irwin in the book.</p><p>A small moving picture so tiny they could hardly see it appeared on the page. Anne and Irwin tried to move closer to the picture to see it better, but next thing they knew they were being sucked into the book.</p><p>“What just happened?” whispered Irwin.</p><p>Anne didn’t answer but just looked around confused.</p><p>There was an old man reading at a desk.</p><p>“Um excuse me, sir,” said Irwin politely “but where are we?”</p><p>The old man however just ignored him.</p><p>Anne looked around the office and realized that this wasn’t Dumbledore’s office that Harry had described, where was Fawkes the phoenix?</p><p>“Irwin, I think we’ve gone back in time”</p><p>“What?” asked Irwin, “how do you know”</p><p>But Irwin was interrupted in the middle of his sentence by a knock on the door and a handsome teenaged boy came in through the door.</p><p>Anne and Irwin listened intently as Riddle and Professor Dippet discussed how he could not stay at school over the holidays. Anne felt slightly bad for Tom, he must have a pretty horrible home life if he didn’t want to go home for the Summer holidays!</p><p>After a while, Tom left the headmasters office and Anne and Irwin followed him down to the dungeons.</p><p>Anne and Irwin stood waiting for nearly an hour for something to happen.</p><p>“How much longer are we going to have to wait here?” groaned Irwin.</p><p>“Shhh!” whispered Anne, she could hear something.</p><p>“Come on, gotta get you outta here, come on get in the box!” </p><p>That voice sounded strangely familiar to Anne.</p><p>“Evening Rubeus!” called Tom. </p><p>The boy stood up shocked. He looked much larger than most other boys.</p><p>“What are you doing down here Tom?”</p><p>Riddle stepped towards the large boy. </p><p>“I’m sorry Rubeus but it’s all over, I’m going to have to turn you in. They’re talking about closing the school if the attacks don’t stop.”</p><p>The large boy started to panic and block the box from Tom's view.</p><p>“Monster don’t make good pets Hagrid,” he said pulling his wand out, “I don’t think you meant it kill anyone, but the girl’s parents are coming tomorrow, they’ll want to see justice!”</p><p>“Aragog never killed no one!” Hagrid protested.</p><p>“Stand aside Hagrid,” commanded Riddle pointing his wand at the box.</p><p>Tom pointed his wand at the box and a huge black spider came scampering out of the box.</p><p>Anne stepped behind Irwin in fear, she was terrified of that spider ever if it was only a memory!</p><p>The spider escaped out the window and Riddle advanced on Hagrid with his wand drawn.</p><p>Suddenly as soon as the memory started Anne and Irwin suddenly landed back on Irwin’s bed. </p><p>“What in the name of Merlin!” shouted Irwin.</p><p>“It doesn’t make sense,” whispered Anne once she had composed herself.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“It can’t have been Hagrid.”</p><p>“Why not he was expelled in his third year.”</p><p>“That’s true,” she muttered, “but he wouldn’t. He doesn’t care about people's blood.”</p><p>“Its more than that though,” considered Irwin, “I think that was an infant acromantula.”</p><p>“A what?”</p><p>“Acromantula, a giant spider, that was a young version though.”</p><p>“Ok,” said Anne slowly, “but how does this help us?”</p><p>“Acromantula’s will eat people,” Irwin began, “but they can’t petrify you!”</p><p>“How do you know all this?” asked Anne curiously.</p><p>“Grandpa told me about them a while back.”</p><p>“Oh of course,” muttered Anne, Newt knew about all sorts of different creatures.</p><p>“So, Hagrid’s innocent?”</p><p>Irwin nodded, “now we just need to find a way to prove it!” </p><p>A few days later Anne and Irwin were lining up with Gryffindor’s for transfiguration when Ginny came charging into Anne who was doing up her laces. “Sorry Anne, I wasn’t looking properly” she muttered</p><p>Both bags of books went all over the floor and Anne and Ginny quickly repacked their bags. It wasn’t until that evening that Anne noticed that Tom’s dairy was gone.</p><p>Anne and Irwin had told Harry Ron and Hermione about what had happened with Tom's diary and the five students spent hours in the library every day making lists of possible creatures that could be petrifying the other students. They were desperately trying to prove Hagrid’s innocence.</p><p>One day in mid-March Anne woke up to find the weather was particularly bright there was another quidditch match today and Anne was going to watch Harry play against Hufflepuff. She got dressed in her Ravenclaw striped jumper and did her hair, her ribbons turned navy blue to match the stripes.</p><p>“Morning Anne!” called Irwin as he sat down at the table with her.</p><p>Irwin tucked into his toast and they were soon joined by Harry Ron and Hermione.</p><p>“Hi Harry, you nervous?” asked Anne.</p><p>“No, its good flying conditions and we’ve been training for months!”</p><p>“Fair enough!” laughed Anne.</p><p>“Come on then Harry” called Wood passing their table, “we’ve got to get going!”</p><p>They all followed Wood out from the Great Hall, Harry stopped in the entrance hall, however.</p><p>“What's up Harry?” asked Ron</p><p>“Its that voice again” he stammered.</p><p>“You can hear that voice?” asked Anne</p><p>“Yeah, it's going to kill someone!” panicked Harry.</p><p>“Calm down mate!” said Ron “it's probably nothing.”</p><p>“It can wait till after the match Harry!” said Irwin leading Harry towards the pitch.</p><p>“Aren’t you two coming?” asked Ron when he saw that Anne and Hermione were staring at each other.</p><p>“Library!” they said in unison.  They had both just realized something very important!!</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. His Worst Nightmare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Irwin realizes how much Anne means to him.- Irwin POV</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Irwin Harry and Ron all ran off down to the Quidditch pitch laughing. The girls were always running off to the library, but it was such a beautiful day full of excitement that even Irwin didn’t want to be in the library! </p><p>There was a huge crowd of students wondering down to the pitch chatting and laughing, Harry went off to the changing room to get ready for the match.</p><p>“See you later guys!” Harry called as he ran off.</p><p>Ron and Irwin went to go sit in the Gryffindor stands next to Neville.</p><p>“Hi, Nev!” called Ron cheerfully as they sat down, “looking forward to the match!”</p><p>“Yeah!” said Neville excitedly, “it will be Easter next week, it will be nice to go home for a bit!”</p><p>“I know what you mean, get some time off from studying.”</p><p>“Aren’t you going to spend Easter studying for your exams?” asked Irwin.</p><p>Ron had started muttering about ‘bloody Ravenclaws’ again when the Quidditch teams started to warm up.</p><p>The match was just about to start when Professor McGonagall appeared in the middle of the pitch.</p><p>“This match has been cancelled!” announced Professor McGonagall through her megaphone.</p><p>The stadium was full of protest and Oliver Wood was running at Professor McGonagall to argue still on his broomstick.</p><p>McGonagall was ignoring him however, she was trying to talk to Harry.</p><p>“Come on,” muttered Ron pulling Irwin towards McGonagall and Harry.</p><p>“Ah Mr Scamander, Mr Weasley there you are!” cried Professor Flitwick.</p><p>“Is there something wrong Professor?” asked Irwin nervously.</p><p>“I’m afraid so…” he muttered.</p><p>Flitwick, Ron and Irwin made their way over to McGonagall and Harry.</p><p>“There you are Filius! I see you’ve found the other two, we need to go the Hospital Wing, Filius take the Ravenclaws back to their Common Room.”</p><p>Professor Flitwick left somewhat grudgingly.</p><p>“What's going on Professor!” asked Harry getting somewhat exasperated as they started their way back the school. </p><p>“Why have they cancelled the match!” added Ron.</p><p>“You’ll understand in a moment,” said McGonagall. </p><p>Irwin could tell that she was trying hard not to cry.</p><p>They eventually arrived in the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey was bustling around two new beds.</p><p>“I’m afraid this is going to come as a bit of a shock,” said McGonagall leading them over to the two new curtained off beds.</p><p>In one bed Hermione laid petrified holding a mirror and in the other was Anne. </p><p>Anne.</p><p>She was lying there her eyes wide in shock her dark red hair lying on the pillow.</p><p>“What the” started Ron.</p><p>“How?” said Harry collapsing into a chair.</p><p>Irwin said nothing, he didn’t have anything to say.</p><p>“You should all go back to your Common Rooms,” said McGonagall after a while.</p><p>She escorted Harry and Ron back to their Common Room and Irwin started his way up to Ravenclaw Tower.</p><p>He climbed the seven staircases leading up to the tower, it felt like it took him hours when it actually only took him ten minutes, he was dreading what was going to happen when he got to the Common Room.</p><p>When he came through the door he was bombarded with questions.</p><p>“What’s going on Irwin?” asked Anthony.</p><p>‘What about the cup?” asked one of the fifth years.</p><p>“Where’s Anne?” asked Mandy and Padma.</p><p>Irwin didn’t feel like he could answer any of them and all he wanted to do was escape.</p><p>Professor Flitwick followed him in through the door.</p><p>He stood on top of a large pile of books so that he could be seen better over the crowd of Ravenclaws.</p><p>Flitwick coughed lightly to get their attention and the Ravenclaws quietened down.</p><p>“There are some new rules, there has been a double attack, Hermione Granger and one of our own Ravenclaws Anne Potter.”</p><p>They took in a collective breath and the room was silent.</p><p>“All students will return to their house Common Rooms by six o’clock every evening,” said Flitwick as he began reading off of a piece of parchment. “No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to every lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities” he finished.</p><p>There were no arguments not even from the Quidditch team.</p><p>Professor Flitwick got down from the pile of books and walked over to Irwin.</p><p>“Are you alright Mr Scamander?” he asked.</p><p>Irwin nodded; he wasn’t in the mood for talking.</p><p>“Well, if you want to talk you know where to find me,” said Flitwick leaving the Common Room.</p><p>“Well,” said one of the seventh years breaking the silence “at least now we know it’s not Potter, his best friend and his sister just got petrified.”</p><p>“I think,” said Anthony logically, “we should interview all the Slytherins this whole thing is their fault anyway!”</p><p>Irwin slipped up to his dormitory when he thought no one was looking. He didn’t want to talk to people right now.</p><p>He got on to his bed and lay down looking up at the ceiling. This was all his fault! He should have gone with her instead of Hermione, he could have done something!</p><p>He stared up at the ceiling thinking all afternoon. In the evening the other boys started to appear.</p><p>“There you are Irwin!” exclaimed Terry.</p><p>“We wondered where you were! You’ve missed dinner,” said Michael who was carrying a bag of food.</p><p>Irwin didn’t really hear them though he was too absorbed in his thoughts, he should have done something to protect Anne!</p><p>“It’s probably best to just leave him,” said Anthony as he started changing into his pyjamas, “he’s had a pretty bad shock we can try again in the morning yeah?”</p><p>“Alright” muttered Terry crawling into bed.</p><p>“We’re here if you want to talk mate,” said Michael leaving the food on Irwin’s bedside table and going to go brush his teeth.</p><p>After a while, the room was filled with the sound of light snoring from Michael and Terry and the light breathing of Anthony. Irwin couldn’t sleep that night though he just felt so guilty, it was all his fault he was supposed to protect her! But he had prioritised Quidditch and having a nice time over his best friend, and now look where it had got him!</p><p>When Anthony was getting up for class the next morning, he glanced over at Irwin nervously.</p><p>“I don’t think he’s slept a wink,” he muttered to Michael as he did up his tie.</p><p>“He hasn’t even touched that food,” pointed out Michael.</p><p>“Irwin mate, we’ve got to get up for class,” said Terry coaxingly.</p><p>Irwin, however, was dead to the world.</p><p>“Maybe he just needs some rest?” suggested Michael.</p><p>“Get some sleep mate, we’ll be back later,” said Anthony placing Irwin’s blanket on top of him.</p><p>The other boys left shrugging in confusion, “it’s got to be bad” muttered Terry, “if Irwin doesn’t feel up to class!”</p><p>Irwin didn’t move, he must have drifted off briefly at some point during the day because the next thing he knew, he was woken up by Anthony talking over his bed.</p><p>“This is getting ridiculous!” complained Michael.</p><p>“How long are you going to keep this up mate?” asked Terry. “You haven’t eaten in thirty-six hours and you’ve hardly slept either.”</p><p>“Right that’s it!” said Anthony on his way out the door, “I’m going for Flitwick!”</p><p>A few minutes later, Anthony reappeared accompanied by Professor Flitwick.</p><p>“He’s been like this since at least yesterday evening sir, he hasn’t eaten, and I don’t think he’s slept much he won’t talk to any of us!” he said as he led Flitwick over to Irwin’s bed.</p><p>“Mr Scamander can you hear me?” asked Flitwick gently.</p><p>No answer.</p><p>“Are you alright?” he tried again.</p><p>No answer.</p><p>“Mr Boot,” said Flitwick turning to Terry, “could you and one of the prefects go and fetch Irwin’s brother from the Hufflepuff Common Room please, he might be able to get through to him.”</p><p>Anthony and Michael tried to tell Professor Flitwick what they knew whilst Terry went with Julian to go and find Rolf.</p><p>They came back twenty minutes later.</p><p>“We found him, sir,” said Julian standing in the doorway.</p><p>“Thank you, Mr Lloyd,” said Flitwick, “your brother is in shock he may even be depressed,” he began turning to Rolf. “He is not responding to either me or any of his friends.”</p><p>“It’s ok Sir,” said Rolf looking at Irwin, “my Dad sometimes gets like this, when he’s upset about mum, it used to happen a lot before he remarried,” he explained.</p><p>“Irwin mate,” said Rolf sitting down gently on his brother’s bed and reaching out for his hand, “It’s Rolf.”</p><p> “I think we should give your friend some privacy” suggested Flitwick gesturing towards the door.</p><p>“But...” stammered Antony.</p><p>“He will be fine with his brother,” Flitwick said gently as Terry Michael and Anthony left the room.</p><p>“Irwin,” Rolf tried again “talk to me.”</p><p>“Rolf?” asked Irwin confused.</p><p>“I know you’re upset, but you will feel better if you talk.”</p><p>Irwin looked at him unconvinced.</p><p>“I’m not making it up, you’ll feel better!” laughed Rolf.</p><p>“I guess,” Irwin struggled, “I feel guilty, I should have gone with her.”</p><p>“You can’t have known mate,” he said putting an arm around his little brother.</p><p>“I normally would have jumped at a chance to go to the library, but I just wanted to go outside for once, maybe if I’d gone with her, I could have protected her!”</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous Irwin,” Rolf said firmly, “you can’t blame yourself for not being there. If you had been there you probably couldn’t have done anything, in fact, you too would probably be in a bed in the hospital wing petrified.”</p><p>“You’re right,” stammered Irwin bursting into tears, “I’m being stupid.”</p><p>“No, you’re not being stupid,” said Rolf pulling his little brother into a hug, “you just care about your friends!”</p><p>“You better?” asked Rolf after a while.</p><p>“I think so yeah,” muttered Irwin.</p><p>“I thought you might, I always feel better after a good cry,” said Rolf passing his brother a handkerchief.</p><p>“Now, do you want to talk to your friends, they’re worried about you.”</p><p>“Ok,” muttered Irwin.</p><p>Rolf left the room and the other three came back a moment later.</p><p>“You ok mate?” asked Michael nervously.</p><p>Irwin nodded.</p><p>Anthony Terry and Michael all jumped onto Irwin’s bed.</p><p>“I’m sorry if I worried you guys, I was just…”</p><p>“It’s ok mate!” said Anthony, “we get it, Anne means a lot to you.”</p><p>“As long as you’re ok,” agreed Michael.</p><p>“I suppose I just didn’t realize how much she meant to me till she was gone,” Irwin said quietly.</p><p>Terry was fetching a pack of playing cards when Professor Flitwick popped his head back around the door.</p><p>“I know you four all missed dinner so I thought I would bring you some,” Flitwick flicked his wand and several large plates of sandwiches and some jugs of pumpkin juice appeared.</p><p>“Thank you, sir!” called the boys tucking into the food with gusto.</p><p>Irwin was halfway through his fourth sandwich when they heard noises outside the door.</p><p>“We want to see him!” called a muffled voice.</p><p>“I’m sorry but you can’t Irwin isn’t feeling well!” replied Julian.</p><p>“Get out of my way!” yelled another voice that sounded like Mandy’s.</p><p>The door burst open and Padma Persephone Mandy and Lisa appeared in the doorway.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” said Julian looking at Irwin, “I told them to go away.”</p><p>“It’s ok,” replied Irwin.</p><p>“You sure?”</p><p>Irwin nodded.</p><p>“We all need to stick together in times like this,” said Padma.</p><p>“Are you ok Irwin?” asked Lisa.</p><p>“Yeah, I just miss Anne,” said Irwin quietly.</p><p>“We get that,” said Mandy plopping herself down on Anthony’s bed after taking a ham sandwich, “we miss her too.”</p><p>“Did you hear about Hagrid?” asked Persephone.</p><p>Irwin shook his head as he placed some salt and vinegar crisps in his cheese sandwich.</p><p>“He got taken to Azkaban last night!” exclaimed Padma.</p><p>“What?” asked Irwin.</p><p>“Oh yeah, and Dumbledore’s been sacked too!” added Mandy.</p><p>“But why?” Irwin asked.</p><p>“We don’t know, it happened last night,” said Michael.</p><p>“What we do know” muttered Lisa darkly, “is that the muggle-borns have got even less of a chance now.”</p><p>Mandy and Padma put their arms around Lisa. </p><p>“Don’t worry Lisa,” said Terry reassuringly, “we’re going to look after each other now.”</p><p>“We promise!” added Michael.</p><p>“It’s just a shame,” added Anthony “that we didn’t start looking after each other till after Anne’s gone.”</p><p>The Ravenclaws stayed up half the night playing cards and chatting, nobody slept much and the girls stayed in the boy's room that night. The next day a very bleary-eyed group of second-year Ravenclaws appeared for class but at least Irwin was back in class.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Into the Chamber</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry, Ron, and Irwin have to solve a Riddle</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Irwin attempted to go visit Anne the next day in the Hospital Wing with Anthony.</p><p>“I’m sorry boys,” said Madam Pomfrey, “I cannot allow any visitors.”</p><p>“It’s ok Irwin, she’ll be fine!” Anthony reassured him.</p><p>The Ravenclaws spent the whole Easter holidays studying, they were trying to distract themselves from how much they missed Anne.</p><p>In early June about a week before the start of exams Irwin sat down next to Harry and Ron during breakfast, he noticed that they looked as if they hadn’t slept properly.</p><p>“Hi guys!”</p><p>“Hey,” said Harry, “we went to visit Aragog last night!”</p><p>“I told you months ago it couldn’t be him, he cant petrify people.”</p><p>“Yeah I know, all we know if that Aragog was scared of whatever it was.”</p><p>“Also,” added Ron, “we think that the monster might have killed Myrtle.”</p><p>“Really?” asked Irwin interested.</p><p>“Wait a second….” Irwin thought for a moment his brain whirring. “You guys remember months ago when we were researching creatures?”</p><p>“Of course!” said Harry and Ron.</p><p>“Well we cut it down to about five monsters, the ones who could petrify at sight, Irwin was trying to keep his voice down and stay calm, it was all making sense! “Hermione and Anne ran off to the library when you heard a voice Harry and then they were petrified. Harry can speak parseltongue maybe the reason you could hear is that it’s a snake?”</p><p>Harry and Ron nodded eagerly encouraging Irwin to go on.</p><p>“Spiders flee before it…” Irwin muttered. “It’s a basilisk!” </p><p>“Are you sure?” asked Harry.</p><p>“I know my creatures. It can petrify, you would be able to hear it Harry and spiders are scared of it.”</p><p>“Ok,” said Ron uncertainly, “so what do we do now?”</p><p>“We meet in Myrtle's bathroom tonight!” announced Harry, “we’ll come to get you from your Common Room at eight o’clock tonight,” he said looking at Irwin</p><p>“You’re right, she might know something!” agreed Irwin.</p><p>‘You don’t think….” Started Ron.</p><p>“That she knows where the chamber opens? Yeah!” answered Harry.</p><p>They all went rushing off to class. Professor Flitwick told them that exams would start in a week and that the petrified students should be coming back soon because the mandrakes were ready.</p><p>It was all going well until lunchtime when they were all sent back to their Common Rooms, the monster had taken a student down to the chamber.</p><p>Irwin sat in the Common Room wondering what to do, he knew that him Harry and Ron were going to talk to Myrtle that night but Ginny might be dead by then.</p><p>There was nothing to do, they were going to have to go into the chamber, but how to deal with a Basilisk?</p><p>Irwin spent several hours researching methods, using Anne’s favorite saying, ‘when in doubt check a book’ </p><p>“Where are you going Irwin?” asked Julian when he was halfway out the door at eight o’clock.</p><p>“To go find Professor Flitwick,” Irwin lied.</p><p>“Ok then.”</p><p>He went out the Common Room and looked around.</p><p>“Over here!” whispered Harry under the cloak.</p><p>“Come on then, let's go!” said Harry as Irwin slipped under the cloak joining Harry and Ron.</p><p>They walked carefully along the hallways until they reached Myrtle's bathroom and they removed the cloak.</p><p>“Hiya Myrtle!” called Harry when they entered the bathroom.</p><p>“Hello Harry,” she grumbled.</p><p>“I wondered if we could ask you about when you died?”</p><p>Myrtle looked ecstatic. “I was crying in the bathroom when I heard a voice, it was a man’s voice, and this was a girls bathroom” she began eagerly.</p><p>“I opened the door to tell him to ‘go away!’ when I say a pair of large yellow eyes from over by that sink,” she said pointing towards the sinks, “and then I died” she finished simply.</p><p>“Thanks, Myrtle that’s great!” said Harry as they went over to investigate the sinks.</p><p>“It’s this one,” said Irwin pointing towards a sink with a tiny snake engraved on it. </p><p>Harry made a strange hissing noise and the chamber opened.</p><p>“Recte,” muttered Irwin, “who’s going first?”</p><p>“I’ll go,” said Harry as he pulled himself up onto the sink. Harry slid down the tunnel and disappeared from sight.</p><p>“It's alright!” he called loudly, “you two can come down now!”</p><p>Ron went next which only left Irwin.</p><p>“Myrtle,” he said looking at the ghost, “if we don’t come back in two hours, go tell the teachers where we’ve gone and tell them it’s a Basilisk.”</p><p>Myrtle nodded enthusiastically.</p><p>“Recte, here goes,” said Irwin jumping into the tunnel.</p><p>It was like a long slippery slide that took him underneath the school.</p><p>“You alright?” asked Harry helping Irwin off the floor.</p><p>“Yeah,” Irwin muttered brushing off the worst of the slime from his robes.</p><p>The floor was covered in what looked like millions of dead rat skeletons.</p><p>“Come on then,” said Harry gesturing down the dark passage which was lit with torches.</p><p>Harry, Ron, and Irwin worked their way down the corridor. At one point they passed a huge snakeskin at least fifty feet long.</p><p>“If that’s its skin,” mumbled Ron, “how big is the snake?”</p><p>They eventually reached the end of the passage where there was a large wall were there was two huge snakes engraved.</p><p>“Go on Harry,” Ron whispered nervously, “give it a go.”</p><p>Harry made another strange hissing noise and the wall slid aside and they were looking into a huge chamber.</p><p>“Wands out!” whispered Harry.</p><p>The three boys took out their wands and started into the huge chamber. The chamber was full of water and there were large pillars at least three stories high.</p><p>Where was Ginny? Was she even still alive?</p><p>Irwin then noticed a huge larger than life statue of Salazar Slytherin at the feet of which was a young girl in black robes and streaming red hair.</p><p>“Ginny!” screamed Ron running over to his little sister quickly followed by Harry and Irwin.</p><p>“Wake up Gin, please!” said Ron desperately trying to shake his little sister.</p><p>“She won’t wake,” said a soft voice that Irwin vaguely recognized.</p><p>There was a handsome young man who was about sixteen standing near them. He was looking slightly blurred but Irwin couldn’t mistake him anywhere.</p><p>“Tom?” asked Irwin</p><p>“Hello Irwin, I was wondering when you’d show up,” he chuckled lightly. “And who are your young friends.”</p><p>“She's not dead is she?” asked Ron his voice shaking.</p><p>“No she's not dead,” said Riddle, “yet.”</p><p>Irwin took a closer look at Riddle, he should be in his mid-sixties but then again here he was not looking a day older than sixteen.</p><p>“You're not a ghost, ghosts are more transparent,” said Irwin uncertainly.</p><p>“Very well-reasoned Scamander! I am not a ghost, I am a memory preserved in a diary for fifty years.”</p><p>“Look,” said Harry urgently trying to lift Ginny, “I don’t know who this bloke is but we’ve got to get Ginny out of here there’s a bloody Basilisk.”</p><p>Irwin, Harry and Ron started to head for the door with Ginny when they noticed that Tom had Ginny’s wand.</p><p> “Come on Tom,” said Irwin nervously. “We’ve to get away from the Basilisk!”</p><p>“It wont come until its called.”</p><p>“What?” murmured Ron. </p><p>Riddle was now blocking the doorway holding Ginny’s wand.</p><p>“So,” Riddle smirked, “you’re Harry Potter? I have waited a long time for this!”</p><p>“How do you know who I am?”</p><p>“Ginny told me about you, she never stops going on about you” Riddle smirked again.</p><p>“We need to get out of here,” muttered Irwin trying to push his way past Tom.</p><p>“Why?” asked Tom simply.</p><p>There was definitely something funny going on here, what the hell was going on?</p><p>“What’s going on, how did my sister get like this?” asked Ron.</p><p>“I suppose its because Ginny Weasley opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to the only person who would listen”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“The diary!” said Riddle and Irwin simultaneously.</p><p>“Well done Scamander! Yes, she told all her deepest darkest secrets to her diary, about her brothers teasing her, not having any friends over than one who seemed, in my opinion, to be completely batty.”</p><p>Irwin scowled at Tom’s opinion of Luna.</p><p>“Her favorite topic of conversation was a certain Harry Potter, good kind brave, she really loves you you know” Riddle smirked again.</p><p>“It's very annoying to have to talk to an eleven-year-old girl, but I was patient and I listened to her troubles. I have always been quite a charming person and have always been good at getting what I want. I got exactly what I wanted from Ginny” said Riddle looking over at the limp form of the girl in Ron’s arms “her soul! I grew powerful, more powerful than little Miss Ginny Weasley, eventually, I was powerful enough to start giving her back some of my soul.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” asked Harry who was by this point deeply confused.</p><p>“Isn’t it obvious?” Riddle laughed. “It was Ginny the whole time, Ginny opened the Chamber of Secrets, she wrote the messages on the wall, she petrified the mudbloods and that squibs cat!”</p><p>Tom continued talking, it seemed as if he had been wanting to get all this off of his chest for a very long time.</p><p>“After a very long time she stopped trusting me and she tried to get of the diary, only to be found by you,” he looked over at Irwin.</p><p>“But it was your friend I was more interested in, more particularly your friend's twin brother!”</p><p>“Why are you so obsessed with Harry?” asked Irwin</p><p>Riddle seemed to ignore this question however, “I can't believe that idiot Dumbledore is still headmaster!”</p><p>“I bet he saw right through you” muttered Harry.</p><p>“Yes, yes he did. It wasn’t safe to finish my mission then with Dumbledore watching me so I left a memory preserved in my diary.”</p><p>“Well its too late, no one died and the Mandrakes draught is nearly finished!” said Harry with triumph.</p><p>“Ah but Harry, I don’t care about killing mudbloods anymore, my aim for the last few months has been killing you!”</p><p>Harry Ron and Irwin stared at him in shock.</p><p>“Ginny had told me about you speaking parseltongue and I knew you’d do anything to save a friend so I had Ginny write a message on the wall and come down here to die. I've been waiting for you to show up ever since.”</p><p>“I knew you’d come, Harry Potter, I have so many questions for you!” he said his eyes wide in excitement.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” asked Irwin nervously.</p><p>“How is that you destroyed the most extraordinary wizard the world has ever known as an infant? How did you escape with nothing but that tiny scar when Lord Voldemort lost all his powers?”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” asked Harry flabbergasted, “Voldemort was after your time!”</p><p> “Ah yes, but that’s where your wrong Harry,” Riddle continued “for you see Voldemort is my past, present, and future”</p><p>Tom pulled out Ginny’s wand and letters appeared</p><p>TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE</p><p>Riddle waved his wand and the letters rearranged themselves.</p><p>I AM LORD VOLDEMORT</p><p>“I started using my new name at school, I couldn’t use my filthy muggle father's name when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!”</p><p>“You’re not” muttered Harry with a voice full of hatred.</p><p>“Not what?” laughed Riddle softly.</p><p>“You’re not the greatest sorcerer in the world. Albus Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world!” Harry shouted. “Even when you were powerful even you were scared of him, that’s why you never tried to take over the school!”</p><p>Riddle's smile had been replaced by a scowl.</p><p>“Dumbledore’s been driven out of this school by the mere memory of me!”</p><p>“No, he hasn’t!”</p><p>Harry and Tom stopped their argument however as loud music filled the chamber. </p><p>The bright red bird with the beautiful golden tail came soaring into the room and dropped a patched brown object by Irwin’s feet before settling onto Harry’s shoulder.</p><p>“Is this what your headmaster has to send his defenders?” cackled Riddle, “a songbird and an old hat!”</p><p>“But to business why did you survive?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” said Harry abruptly. </p><p>Riddle scowled at him.</p><p>“What I do know though is that I live because my muggle-born mother died to protect me.”</p><p>“So there is nothing special about you” muttered Riddle with some relief. “Have you noticed how similar we are Harry? Half-bloods, orphans, parslemouths, we even look somewhat alike!”</p><p>Irwin and Ron had been getting completely ignored until the point when he finally finished. </p><p>“And now, it is time to test the great Harry Potter and his friends against the great Salazar Slytherin!”</p><p>Riddle started making strange hissing noises. Irwin knew what was coming, and so did Harry!</p><p>“Expeliarmus!” yelled Harry, Ginny’s wand came flying out of Riddles hand.</p><p>A great giant snake came slithering out of Salazar Slytherin's mouth, it was at least fifty feet long.</p><p>Irwin shut his eyes and pointed his wand in the direction of the snake. “Obscurus!” yelled Irwin.</p><p>Irwin opened his eyes and saw that the spell had worked, the Basilisk was now blindfolded and could no longer see.</p><p>“Well done Irwin!” called Harry.</p><p>As Harry spoke the snake bit through Harry's arm leaving a great fang in his arm. </p><p>“Ahhhh” Harry screamed out in pain.</p><p>Irwin realized the hat must be here for some reason so he brought the hat over to where Harry was laying. Harry pulled something large and silvery out of the hat, Ron was too busy looking after Ginny.</p><p>“Take it” Harry struggled as he passed the sword to Irwin, “get the snake!”</p><p>“Recte” Irwin murmured charging at the Basilisk plunging the sword deep into him.</p><p>Riddle looked as though he was about to scream. “No matter,” said Riddle composing himself, “Harry Potter is dying whilst I am more alive by the minute” gloated Riddle.</p><p>“Look” he chuckled as Fawkes cried into Harry's arm, “even Dumbledore’s bird is mourning for you.”</p><p>Harry's arm magically healed however, he pulled the Basilisk fang out of his arm and stabbed the diary that was lying on the floor next to him.</p><p>“Nooooo!!!” screamed Riddle in agony.</p><p>The diary was almost as if it was bleeding but instead of blood, it was bleeding jet black ink.<br/>Then all of a sudden Riddle was gone and Ginny was awake.</p><p>“Ron?” she called weakly.</p><p>“Hi Gin!” he laughed with relief.</p><p>“The Chamber of Secrets, Riddle, the Muggleborns” cried Ginny hysterically, “they’ll probably expel me!”</p><p>“You’ll be fine Ginny,” reassured Harry helping Ron with Ginny.</p><p>Irwin followed still carrying the sword with the shining rubies and picking up the sorting hat.</p><p>They all flew back up the tunnel holding on tightly to Fawkes, the wind whipping through Irwin's red hair. They soon arrived in Myrtle's bathroom.</p><p>“Oh you’re alive,” said Myrtle.</p><p>“You seem disappointed,” laughed Irwin.</p><p>“Yes well, not everyone’s nice to me, I was going to ask you to share my toilet!”</p><p>“Um ok…..” muttered Ron trying not to laugh as they left the bathroom supporting Ginny.</p><p>They all followed Fawkes up to Dumbledore’s office where Irwin knocked firmly.</p><p>“Enter!” called Dumbledore.</p><p>There was silence for a moment as the group covered in blood water and slime stood in the doorway.</p><p>“Ginny!!” screamed Mrs. Weasley rushing to hug her daughter followed by her husband.</p><p>“You saved her! You saved her but how?” said Mrs. Weasley hugging Harry and Ron.</p><p>So Harry, Ron, and Irwin slowly explained about the Basilisk and the Diary and Riddle and Fawkes arriving at the last moment to rescue them.</p><p>“What I would like to know is how Lord Voldemort could possess Ginny when I believe he is Albania,” asked Dumbledore.</p><p>“You Know Who? My Ginny possessed? What are you talking about?” stammered Mr. Weasley holding his only daughter close.</p><p>“The diary” stammered Ginny, “he was in the diary”</p><p>“How ingenious” muttered Dumbledore, “most people don’t know that Voldemort used to be Tom Riddle.”</p><p>“Ginny! I’ve told you a hundred times! Never trust something if you can’t see where it keeps its brain!” shouted Mr. Weasley.</p><p>“I’m sorry Daddy” cried Ginny, “I didn’t know, it was with my schoolbooks!”</p><p>“I think Miss Weasley should be taken to the hospital wing, no punishment, this is not her fault,” said Dumbledore smiling kindly, “bed rest and hot chocolate I think.”</p><p>“Madam Pomfrey should still be awake” he added, “she is giving out the Mandrake potion as we speak.”</p><p>“Hermione!” called Harry.</p><p>“Anne!” whispered Irwin.</p><p>“Your friends will be fine, don’t worry boys!”</p><p>Mrs. Weasley Ginny and a flabbergasted Mr. Weasley headed off to the Hospital Wing</p><p>“Minerva, why don’t you and the house elves organize a celebratory feast?”</p><p>“I'll leave you to deal with these three then,” she said leaving the office.</p><p>Here we go, Irwin knew they should have gone to a teacher in the first place and now they were probably going to get expelled or something.</p><p>“I am going to award you all Special Awards for Services to the School, and two hundred points apiece for your respective houses.”</p><p>The boys looked at each other in shock two hundred points each!</p><p>“Mr. Weasley, if you wouldn’t mind writing to Azkaban, I think we would quite like our gamekeeper back.”</p><p>Ron nodded and left the room. </p><p>“Mr. Scamander, you were very brave tonight, it took a Gryffindor to pull that sword out of the hat, but it was a Ravenclaw who had the bravery and determination to kill the Basilisk.”</p><p>Irwin took a closer look at the sword he had placed on the desk and saw it had Godric Gryffindor engraved on it.</p><p>“Bravery is very important, never forget that Irwin, now why don’t you go get cleaned up for the feast, your other friends will want to know what happened from a first-hand account and I need to have a few more words with Harry”</p><p>“Of course sir,” said Irwin leaving the room.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Another Year Gone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anne is unpetrified and is welcomed back by her family and friends</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Irwin checked his watch as he left Dumbledore’s office and saw it was nearly twelve o’clock in the morning.</p><p>He ran off to Ravenclaw tower to go wake up the others.</p><p>“Which room can you eat?” asked the knocker.</p><p>“A mushroom,” answered Irwin.</p><p>The door opened, Irwin was about to go find Anthony and the others, but they were already awake.</p><p>“Irwin!!” screamed Lisa and Mandy jumping on him and hugging him.</p><p>“Why are you covered in filth?” asked Lisa brushing herself off.</p><p>“Where the hell have you been!” asked Terry.</p><p>“You’ve been gone for four hours!” agreed Michael.</p><p>“Finding the Chamber of Secrets, killing a Basilisk, and saving Ginny Weasley,” Irwin answered calmly. </p><p>Seven faces just stared at him gobsmacked.</p><p>“You’re kidding right?” asked Anthony uncertainly.</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Wow!” breathed Padma and Persephone.</p><p>Professor Flitwick then came and announced there was going to be a huge feast to celebrate.</p><p>It was the strangest meal Irwin had ever been to. Everyone was sitting eating in the pyjamas, Irwin was still in his filth covered robes, but he was so happy to be back with his friends he just didn’t care!</p><p>Not long after the beginning of the feast Harry and Ron rushed over to the entrance to the Great Hall.</p><p>“Hermione!! Anne!!” screamed Harry.</p><p>Irwin ran over to join them.</p><p>“Harry thank god you’re alright,” said Anne crying into her brothers’ arms.</p><p>“Thank god you’re alright!” replied Harry, “you two have been petrified for three months!”</p><p>“Hi Anne,” muttered Irwin not wanting to disturb the family reunion.</p><p>“Irwin!” cried Anne disentangling herself from Harry's arms.</p><p>Anne pulled Irwin into a deep hug. He never wanted to let her go ever again.</p><p>Irwin kissed Anne lightly on the forehead, before leading her over to the Ravenclaw table. </p><p>Anne blushed but she didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Anne!” called Padma and Lisa.</p><p>Anne hardly had time to eat she was so busy being hugged by all her friends.</p><p>“I’m glad you’re back Anne,” said Luna dreamily, “I’ve missed you.”</p><p>“I’ve missed you too Luna!”</p><p>“Here you haven’t eaten in three bloody months!” chuckled Michael as he passed Anne a plate loaded with roast chicken and roast potatoes with broccoli and Yorkshire pudding and gravy.</p><p>“Thanks, Michael!”</p><p>“Anne! Irwin!” exclaimed Rolf coming over to their table halfway through the meal.</p><p>“Thank god you’re both alright!” </p><p>After hugging both Anne and Irwin at least three times each he turned on his brother.</p><p>“Irwin, I could bloody kill you! You went after the Heir of Slytherin on your own, you should have told a teacher!” shouted Rolf. “Just you wait till Dad finds out, you’re so bloody reckless sometimes!”</p><p>Irwin pushed his food around his plate shiftily.</p><p>“Look I’m sorry mate,” said Rolf calming down. “It’s just if you had died then I could never forgive myself.”</p><p>“It’s alright” muttered Irwin.</p><p>At the end of the feast, Anne didn’t know what news was better. The fact that Hagrid came back at half-past three in the morning, or that Lockhart announced that he would be leaving at the end of the year to start a new book.</p><p>When the school exams were cancelled the Ravenclaws were in uproar.</p><p>After the meal Anne and Irwin and the other second-year Ravenclaws went to talk to Professor Flitwick about it with Mandy as their spokesperson.</p><p>“Sir,” began Mandy, “we have been studying for these exams since January!”</p><p>“You will all be able to continue to the third year, no exams were meant to be a treat!”</p><p>“But what about the OWL and NEWT students?”</p><p>“Yes well” admitted Flitwick, “they will still have to take their exams.”</p><p>“Sir,” said Anthony, “the exams were going to start in a few days, surely the papers have already been written?”</p><p> “Well yes…”</p><p>“Can’t we just take the exams for our own sake then?” asked Padma.</p><p>“Yeah” offered Terry, “what else are we supposed to be doing for the next two weeks before going home?”</p><p>“Oh alright!” sighed Flitwick finally giving in. “I’ll see if you nine can do your exams anyway, I don’t see why you are all so upset though.”</p><p>“For some of us Sir having an exam is a kind of treat of its own!” laughed Michael.</p><p>The young Ravenclaws took their exams which much of the rest of the school thought was ludicrous. But they all passed with flying colours as they knew they would.</p><p>At the end of the term, they all packed their trunks and got on the train to go home.</p><p>“Dads going to kill me when I get home!” muttered Irwin when they were about an hour away from London. “I’ve only just managed to get Rolf to calm down!”</p><p>“I don’t know why you saved your friends and killed a ruddy Basilisk!” laughed Terry.</p><p>“Yeah, but I could have been killed by that Basilisk.”</p><p>“Not to mention,” said Anthony as he moved a chess piece, “you faced a form of You Know Who.”</p><p>“It was only a teenage version of Tom. Besides Dads probably going to still be angry at me for not going for a teacher or something and Grandpas probably livid that I killed a creature!”</p><p>“It was petrifying people! It would have killed you given half a ruddy chance!” laughed Michael.</p><p>“You don’t know my Grandpa!”</p><p>“Irwin,” said Anne softly, “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”</p><p>Irwin put his arm around Anne’s shoulder, “Thanks, Anne!”</p><p>“Checkmate!” called Anthony ten minutes before arriving in London, “I believe that’s fifty victories to seven to me!” he gloated as he began to pack the set away.</p><p>“Yeah well,” sulked Michael, “we start again from a fresh slate next September and I'm going to practise all ruddy Summer!”</p><p>They all get changed out of their robes and went to meet their families on the platform.</p><p>“You want me to go with you?” asked Anne when she noticed that Irwin was white as a sheet.</p><p>Irwin nodded nervously, he felt like he was going to be sick!</p><p>“Irwin!” cried Landon as they headed over to the Scamander’s. </p><p>“I’m so proud of you!” he said pulling his son into a deep hug.</p><p>“What?” asked Irwin confused expecting to be rebuked.</p><p>“You were so brave!”</p><p>“But I could have died!” protested Irwin.</p><p>“But you didn’t Irwin, you protected your friends and saved countless lives,” Landon said looking at his son proudly. “You’re brave just like your mother; Mary would have been proud of you!”</p><p>Anne left Irwin to his family, knowing that Irwin would be fine getting fussed over by Mr and Mrs Scamander.</p><p>She started to pull her trunk over to where Harry was chatting away with Sirius and Remus.</p><p>“Anne kiddo!” yelled Sirius running over to her.</p><p>Remus quickly took Anne’s trunk before it was dropped.</p><p>Sirius lifted Anne off the ground and started swinging her around like a mad man.</p><p>Anne started screaming at being thrown around like this</p><p>“Put her down Padfoot,” said Remus, “she doesn’t like it!”</p><p>“She loves it Moony, you’re such a ruddy spoilsport!”</p><p>“She’s screaming!” said Remus taking Anne from Sirius and placing her gently back on the ground.</p><p>“Screaming with laughter!” protested Sirius.</p><p>“You ok?” asked Remus gently.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Sorry kid, I just got excited to see you!” said Sirius earnestly.</p><p>“That’s ok.”</p><p>“Come on you lot,” said Remus picking up Anne’s trunk, “let’s get home!”</p><p>“Guess what we’re having for dinner?” asked Sirius as they headed for the car.</p><p>“Burgers and chips! My favourite!” exclaimed Harry.</p><p>“No actually we’re having that tomorrow,” answered Sirius as they loaded the two trunks and Hedwig into the boot of the car.</p><p>“We are having lasagne with garlic bread and peas,” said Remus.</p><p>Anne looked up curiously.</p><p>“We’ve even got cake and strawberry ice cream for pudding!” added Sirius.</p><p>“Why are we having my favourite things, Harry fought Voldemort not me,” said Anne confused.</p><p>“We are having Harry’s favourite food tomorrow night; Harry wasn’t petrified for three months!” laughed Sirius.</p><p>“Oh right.”</p><p>“We’re just happy to have you home safe and sound,” said Remus as they got in the car.</p><p>It had been a long year, but Anne was looking forward to a nice quiet summer with her family.</p>
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